• God will be close to the poor in spirit at work
  • Psalm 34:18 (CSB) — 18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit.
  • Isaiah 57:15 (CSB) — 15 For the High and Exalted One, who lives forever, whose name is holy, says this: “I live in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed.
• God will hear the prayers of employees who poor in spirit
  • Psalm 102:17 (CSB) — 17 He will pay attention to the prayer of the destitute and will not despise their prayer.

God will meet the needs of the poor in spirit.

• Isaiah 61:1 (CSB) — 1 The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners;
• Luke 1:53 (CSB) — 53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. ~Mother May in the Magnificat.

The “Jesus Way” goal for our faith at work:  We need to reflect to others our understanding that God is God. When you bundle all the attributes of God in one unified whole, you have God. God is not just one or two things. God is unlike anything or anyone we could ever know or imagine. He is one of a kind, unique and without comparison. Even describing him with mere words truly falls short of capturing who he is – our words simply cannot do justice to describe our holy God.

God will give grace to the poor in spirit.

• James 4:6 (CSB) — 6 But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
• James 4:10 (CSB) — 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
• 1 Peter 5:5–6 (CSB) — 5 In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time,
• Proverbs 3:34 (CSB) — 34 He mocks those who mock, but gives grace to the humble.

Leaders know how to become poor so others can become rich

For you know the grace of our Master Jesus the Messiah, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

2 Corinthians 8:9

Thus, Jesus was born into a family that was part of the lower economic class. We see this material status has not changed 30 years later, during Jesus’ earthly ministry. Jesus’ comments on his own economic status, such as when he said, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). The good news narratives bear out this testimony.

It appears that Jesus had very little by way of material possessions during his ministry.

Consider the following: Jesus…

• preached from borrowed boats,
• multiplied borrowed food,
• rode on a borrowed colt,
• and was buried in a borrowed tomb.

Where does money come from?

• “But you shall remember the Master your God; for it is He that gives you power to get wealth” (Deut. 8:18).
• Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. (1 Timothy 6:17)

I have to be careful to not fall into the trap that anything I have is the result of something I have done. It is a dangerous way to think and Jesus challenges me to change my mind about that. Thinking and acting that way causes me to miss God’s goal for my life. I am getting clear on that.

If wealth makes a person proud, then he understands neither himself nor his wealth. “But you shall remember the Master your God; for it is He that gives you power to get wealth” (Deut. 8:18). We are not owners; we are stewards. If we have wealth, it is by the goodness of God and not because of any special merits on our part. The possessing of material wealth ought to humble a person and cause him to glorify God, not himself.

It is possible to be “rich in the world [age]” (1 Tim. 6:17) and be poor in the next. It is also possible to be poor in this world and rich in the next. Jesus talked about both. But a believer can be rich in this world and also rich in the next if he uses what he has to honor God. In fact, a person who is poor in this world can use even his limited means to glorify God and discover great reward in the next world.

Trust God, not wealth. The rich farmer in our Master’s parable thought that his wealth meant security, when really it was an evidence of insecurity. He was not really trusting God. Riches are uncertain, not only in their value (which changes constantly), but also in their durability. Thieves can steal wealth, investments can drop in value, and the ravages of time can ruin houses and cars. If God gives us wealth, we should trust Him, the Giver, and not the gifts.

Enjoy what God gives you. Yes, the word enjoy is in the Bible! In fact, one of the recurring themes in Ecclesiastes is, “Enjoy the blessings of life now, because life will end one day”. This is not sinful “hedonism,” living for the pleasures of life. It is simply enjoying all that God gives us for His glory.

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