Am I Impoverished?

I started thinking tonight about poverty and the differet aspects of it. What does it mean, in my mind, to be impoverished? Why does it even exist?

I'm not looking for the answer that it exists because of the fallen world we live in. That's a given.

To be impoverished means to be without something. I think that's the most basic way to put it, honestly. When we think of poverty-stricken areas like Malawi or Central America we always think of them being without food, clean water, sanitation, etc. The list goes on! Naturally, this isn't something we can ignore.

However, I began thinking why it just has to apply to these types of subjects. What is is that I lack? What am I without? When it comes to materials I am very blessed.

I have learned that God has a deeper meaning to all this, I think. We see poverty and think of all the things we are without, BUT we don't stop and think that the whole world is impoverished from God's love. We see the lost but we don't think about a spiritual poverty. We don't see it as them being without God. Although, that's exactly what they are.

We live in a world full of poverty. The truth is that with enough money and generous hearts we can do a pretty decent job of fixing the poverty we see. That'll make us feel good about ourselves. We don't see the spiritual poverty of people, so we don't let if phase us.

We need to remember that poverty is spiritual too.