Poverty, Like Abundance, Is A Mindset

Since poverty, like abundance, depends on your mindset, then whether you think you are poor or rich, you are right. When we compare ourselves to others, we are always superior to some and inferior to others. Wealth is no different. People consider themselves poor or rich depending on how they compare to someone else.

This morning I was listening to a chaplain at the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice talk about the high rate of recidivism among the juvenile inmates. He said the chief reason for the failure rate of these juveniles to succeed in society is poverty. Chaplain John said it's not parenting or the failure of schools and churches but simply poverty.

Another person there who ministers to the homeless in downtown Columbia, theorized that people remain homeless because of the messages they received as children. Children believe adults who tell them they will never amount to anything or that they will be alcoholics "just like your old man." By the time a person is 50, it is very difficult to change this pattern of thinking.

What about the rags to riches stories we have all heard? What makes one person look poverty in the face and determine not to stay in that situation? How can we as a society instill in the minds of everyone that we are all capable of achieving anything we desire? If one person can succeed in business or medicine or education, then anyone can, right?

As long as we think and teach others to believe that poverty is inevitable, then we will continue to see it. In a world as abundant as ours, this is hogwash. My mission, whether I'm talking to juvenile offenders or to a Sunday School class, is that God wants us to have abundance in our lives because He loves us. He created us in His image and His very nature is abundant.

Jesus said, "the poor you will always have with you." I often wondered what he meant by this. Now I believe he meant that as long as people believe they are poor and that is their lot in life, they will not take action to change that condition. They will accept it and react to it, but not creatively think of ways to change it.

The mindset of abundance begins with gratitude for what we have right now. The next step is to determine what would make your life better and set that as a goal. The third step is to look for opportunities to make that goal a reality. There are lots of legitimate opportunities for anyone who has the mindset of abundance.

Just like focusing on the glass half full, focus on the abundance in the world and you will notice a plethora of opportunities available to you today. Set an example for your children, your community and the world that abundance is the true reality. I fully believe we can eradicate poverty in our country and replace it with abundance if we focus on changing that mindset.

Sandra Hayes
Prosperity, South Carolina