Spiritual Poverty: When “Having It All” Isn’t Enough

When people think of poverty, they usually picture empty wallets, unpaid bills, and going without basic needs. But poverty isn’t always financial.

Someone like my own son, born into a middle-class family with every material need met, could still experience a kind of poverty that runs much deeper.

This is spiritual poverty.

What Is Spiritual Poverty?

It can seem contradictory: how could someone who “has it all” be poor?

But there are countless people who seem successful and stable on the outside, yet cry themselves to sleep at night. They feel lost, heartbroken, or chained to addictions. Their bank accounts might look fine, but their souls are in pain.

That pain is real. And it’s a poverty that money can’t fix.

People Will Fail Us—But There Is Hope

The hard truth is that even those who love us most will eventually let us down in some way. They’re human. Imperfect.

But there is One who promises He will never fail you.

He says you are not forgotten. You are not forsaken. He will never leave you.

That promise isn’t just comforting—it’s life-changing.

Why Religion Isn’t the Answer

Too often, “religion” becomes a label people wear or a routine they follow. It’s politically correct. Safe. Respectable.

But it doesn’t heal spiritual poverty.

The cure isn’t found in religion. It’s found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

A Debt We Can’t Pay Alone

The Bible teaches us in Romans that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. No one is perfect except God and His Son.

Scripture also describes a sin debt so great no amount of money could ever pay it.

That’s a concept many people don’t grasp until it’s too late.

There is only one way for this debt to be paid: through Jesus.

What Does That Really Mean?

It means surrendering your life to Him.

It means choosing to follow Him even though you’ll still stumble and make mistakes.

It means being unashamed to call yourself a child of God and recognizing that through Jesus you’re an heir to something greater than anything this world can offer.

Don’t Make the Same Mistake

In the book of Luke, Jesus tells the story of a rich man who had everything the world could offer but lacked the one thing that truly mattered.

I pray that none of us make the same mistake.

In Jesus’ name,