| WHAT MAKES PEOPLE POOR? |
| A clear-eyed view of wealth and poverty. |
| The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor. 10:15 |
| "Poor people are lazy," says one person. Someone else claims the opposite: "They are poor because the rich control the system." People tend to oversimplify when they discuss wealth and poverty. Curiously, both sides may quote Proverbs to prove their point. You have to read all of Proverbs to get its subtle view. It says people are poor for various reasons: because of laziness and drunkenness, but also because the rich oppress them. People get rich for various reasons too: because of hard work, because of the Lord's blessing, because they cheated. Proverbs gives an evenhanded view of what money does for people. Wealth brings benefits, including eager friends, Proverbs says: but it also brings worries and troubles. Proverbs strongly urges the rich and powerful to be generous and fair to poor people. It remains remarkably clear-eyed about the tangled causes of poverty and about the dangers and benefits of wealth. Proverbs on money:10:4, 15, 22; 11:4, 16, 28; 13:8, 18, 22, 23; 14:20, 23, 31; 15:16; 18:23; 19:1, 4, 17; 20:13; 21:5, 17; 22:1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 16, 22, 23; 23:5; 28:3, 6, 8, 11, 19, 20, 22, 27; 29:7, 14; 30:7-9. Life Questions: Think of the richest and the poorest people you know. Have stereotypes about wealth and poverty affected your attitude toward them? |