FDA Chapter 11. The Danger of a Poverty Mentality

“For the mouth speaks out of that

which fills the heart.”

—Matthew 12:34

 

So many women, men, and especially those who are the heads of their households fall into what I describe as the “Poverty Mentality.” Large families are plagued with it. The Poverty Mentality is basically when the phrase, “I can’t afford it” takes over a person’s vocabulary and soon enters their heart.

“For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” Matthew 12:34

It is so easy to fall into this mindset and mental stronghold, especially when you pay the bills and begin to take over the finances, or are now trying to “get by” with one income instead of two. It can hit when you look at what your divorce papers say you are going to get or what you are going to have to pay, or like me, when you total up your family’s debt hoping to consolidate your loans you didn’t apply for but are responsible to pay.

Yet this is a trap from the enemy because it is contrary to Scripture and who our Father is. I am not trying to be “spiritually weird” here and encourage us to all go out and buy whatever we want because our spiritual “Sugar Daddy” will pay for it! But let’s not be like the world, and worry about how we will make it financially, when the Bible promises that He will take care of all not just some of our needs!

“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”—Philippians 4:19

If we can believe God for our salvation, then why not believe God for our financial needs, wants, and for the blessings He longs to give us?

“Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you For the LORD is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him”—Isaiah 30:18

God says that without faith, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). So we keep telling everyone, “We can’t afford it” or “I don’t know how we are going to make it,” it is like a slap in the face to our heavenly Father!

How would you feel if your son or daughter went around telling friends or went to school telling everyone that they didn’t know if they would be able to have a lunch the next week? Or saying you couldn’t afford buy them the shoes that they needed? How would you feel if they shamed you like that? And what would people think of you, when you of course, would be able to provide for your own child?

It is the same way when you shame your heavenly Father and/or Husband. When you shame Him by telling people that though you are a child of God (that you profess to everyone) or the bride of the Lord of Hosts, but, He is unable or unwilling to provide for what you need; that you can barely make it and you don’t know where you will get enough money. This has to be a painful slap in the face to the One whom you profess to love and trust.

And maybe you don’t go around telling everyone, you keep it to yourself, but your appearance shouts it to everyone! Your clothes are old because you haven’t bought any new clothes in years. You let the roots grow out in your hair, or don’t have your hair cut often enough. You’re car is full of trash and the outside is dirty. You let your appearance go, since you have told yourself you don’t have enough money for shoes for your children. You are the picture of poverty, when you have a heavenly Father and/or Husband who has all that you need and wants to provide if you would just trust Him!

You need to take care of what you have (including your appearance): your home, your lawn, your car (inside and out), and your children. And when you have a need, or even a want, simply ask God the Father or your Heavenly Husband for it. He is just waiting for you to ask! He wants to bless you with good things, as long as you take care of what He gives you and He only asks that you give Him all the praise, by telling others how awesome He is! If do that, soon you will find people you know will also so want a relationship with Him too! But most Christians tend forget Who it was who gave the blessing to them since they focus on earning money rather than just allowing God to do what He said He would do!

“. . . you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’ But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day”—Deuteronomy 8:17–18

If a person believes they are poor, their countenance, appearance, and what they say will reflect poverty. Yet, if a person believes they are rich (according to His riches in Christ Jesus) then their countenance, appearance, and everything that they say will radiate wealth!

My ex-husband used to get so irritated because I always told everyone that we were “rich!” It all began years ago when I saw a very tall black man trying to sell some pecans in a fast food hamburger restaurant so he could buy something to eat. When they said at the counter, no they weren’t interested, I went up to the counter and asked if I could buy him a meal. He said, “No, that’s okay” after looking at me then looking down at the floor. So out of my mouth comes, “Well, my husband is very rich and he would want me to buy you something to eat.” So I paid for it and sat down. (Saying we were rich was not a lie; in comparison to what this man had—we were very rich!)

When the man got his tray of food, he walked up and asked if he could sit with me. I could smell that he reeked of alcohol and urine, but I said, “Please do.” Without looking up he asked me, “Why did you do that? Why did you buy me this food?” I told him that God had sent me there because he was hungry, and God just wanted him to know that He loved him. I said that I was on my way to church for a revival that night, and really wasn’t hungry, but felt I was to come in and get something to eat. And when I saw him I knew why I had come.

The man asked me about the revival and said he would go to church with me. I said that there were no strings attached, and that he didn’t need to go. But he said that if I were willing to take him, he would come.

Since I was late, I knew there would be no parking (only blocks away), but when I got there I noticed a spot right in the front. When I walked in with this heavily soiled black man, you would have thought I had entered with a king! The ushers came over and gave him a royal welcome and found a seat for “him” near the front. And guess what? This man was the first person who ran to the altar and wept to accept Jesus that night!! I, on the other hand, was “reprimanded by the head usher” for my foolishness and the danger I had put myself in.

My husband and children, too, made me promise I would never do that again. Yet, I am grateful to God that He thought me worthy to help in saving that man’s soul and helping Him find peace.

Our finances and wealth are not so we can store up riches on earth, but so that we can be used by God (in big and small ways) to advance His kingdom. But unless you are faithful in small things, especially in your lack (right now), then you will never receive the wealth that He wants to entrust to you!

“And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed.

And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered and said to him, ‘you wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.

Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away”—Matthew 25:24–29

Since my divorce, I have never had more money in my pocket or more financial blessings to use for His kingdom in big and small ways! God saw my heart (by my actions and what I said) when faced with financial ruin this time and He continues to reward me according to my faith in Him!

Even after the divorce papers had been signed, and I had taken all our debt (and more than what my husband had asked for), my ex-husband approached me for “a loan.” I told him that he could take anything he wanted and it was not a loan, but a gift. I told him to just give me a few minutes to balance my checkbook so that he (not I) could see what I had available, and told him to take all of it if he wanted to. I told him that he knew, above what I knew, what I would need to pay the bills (since he had been the one paying them for years).

Later, when I looked at the checkbook, I was shocked because asked for two-thirds of what I had in our accounts (that he was no longer on; he had taken me to the bank to take himself off, I would not have asked him to get off). I quickly wrote the check and handed it to him. He just said, “Thanks.”

Thankfully, our blessings don’t return to us from our husbands or ex-husbands—they come from the Lord! Ladies, almost immediately God blessed me beyond my wildest dreams!!!! Within a few minutes after leaving, my ex-husband called and told me that I could have all our frequent flier miles he had accumulated, allowing me, for the first time to travel.

When our frequent flier miles had been discussed right after the divorce was first filed, the Lord prompted me to ask if I could have “just one trip” which may have prompted him giving them to me after I generously gave him the money he needed. The amazing thing is, my ex-husband told me he guessed that we probably had about two and a half trips of earned flying miles. But because of how enthusiastically agreeable I had been by signing the papers and all his other demands, he said that I could have them all.

So right after the “loan” that I gave him as a “gift” (remember, I told him he never needed to pay me back), and after he had offered them to me, he checked to see how many miles I would use up for each domestic trip. Both of us were totally in shock when I had five trips on one card and two on another—7 trips would cost me nothing!!! I sensed my ex really struggling, wanting to ask for some miles back, but because of God’s perfect timing, and Him wanting to bless my faith in Him, my ex-husband never asked and I kept quiet!

“Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise. When he closes his lips he is counted as prudent”— Proverbs 17:28

For two years, I used those miles to be able to visit people as He prompted me, due to the lovingkindness of the Lord, my new Husband, who wanted to bless me because I simply trusted Him!

And in case you are wondering why I didn’t offer the flying miles back to my ex when I heard him struggling, it was because the full principle, as I mentioned, is to give more when asked and he never asked!

**This is one reason you (and even I) have much less than we would have if we would simply ask and, how we wouldn’t be taken advantage of it we waited until we were asked before we offered.

Since I have a limited amount of pages left in this book, you will have to read my upcoming book Michele Michaels “Overcoming The Poverty Mentality” My Restoration Journey True Story Novel for all the principles and testimonies I’ve accumulated from others as I shared my story with them. But let me at least tell you that simply “asking” was such a revelation for me, which happened right before my divorce.

Just months before I knew my divorce was about to divorce me, while watching a television show, I saw gorgeous a front load washer and drier, and I told my Husband about them. That’s when He said, “Why don’t you just ask Me?” I said, “Okay, I am asking!!” and immediately my old washer started making noise! I got so excited and told my husband that it meant that I was going to be blessed by Him giving me the one that I had seen on television. His comment was, “It just means we need a repair man stupid!”

Just months after my divorce I did get a gorgeous front load washer and drier, in black, which were a dream for me!! And every time I see them, I think of His love and goodness to me—which has been passed on to the next generation! Soon after my son married, I blessed him with these (due to his growing family) and see how my daughter-in-law also thanks the Lord each time she throws in a load of laundry!

Dear reader, whatever you do or don’t do will be passed on through generations. So read this and claim it in your heart, not just for you, but for your children and grandchildren and generations to come!

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives,
And freedom to prisoners;
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord,
that HE MAY BE GLORIFIED.
Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins,
They will raise up the former devastations,
And they will repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.
—Isaiah 61:1–4