Always poor?

The man who covets is always poor.
Claudian.

Our rich societies abound with people who imagine themselves to be poor. Many people who belong to the middle class complain about being poor when in reality they are richer than most people on earth. Even the poorest in Australia are often richer than most people who have ever lived.

Their perception that they are poor is a result of comparing themselves to those who are richer. Yet having food, clothing, shelter, and even a small amount of disposable income with which to buy consumer goods that are not essential for life is an indication of wealth in world and historical terms. Until last century the money to buy nonessential goods was out of the reach of most people. Now nearly everyone in Australia, even single mothers, can afford to buy many toys for their children. Most people have at least some furniture, and even the “poor” often own a car.

When people look at all the products available in the enormous number of stores, or think about the house they would like to have, they realise they cannot have everything they want and conclude that they are poor. No matter how much their situation improves, they always note the things they do not have. This perception is a result of covetousness, and it is an exercise in ingratitude for what God has given. With this mindset, people are always poor.

I pray that God will spare me this mindset, which I often catch myself displaying. Every time I say I am poor, I am expressing ingratitude for the abundance God has given.