What is Poverty? Answered by one who has experienced it.

Have you ever asked yourself this question?  What is poverty?

Before you read on, pause a moment…. How would you define it?

For many of us in the West who have never experienced poverty, we may have a similar ‘lack of resources’ component to our definition and it might go something like this; “Poverty is a state of being, where one has little resources, money or ability to meet one's basic needs.”

In preparing our upcoming Hope for Korah missions team for what they may experience when serving in Korah this August, we thought it would be good to ask Sammy Liben for his thoughts on this question.  We knew he would have a unique perspective as he has experienced extreme poverty first hand.  He grew up at the garbage dump and all of his life he has struggled to survive alongside many other destitute people living in Korah.

A few days later, Sammy emailed back his response.  His answer is compelling… it is why we do what we do and it is why we go back to Korah.  We have so much  to learn.  I have read this over and over, many times and each time it touches me deeply.

I hope many will read Sammy’s words below and be moved into action on behalf of the poor, not only in Korah but in all corners of the world …

What is Poverty?

"Poverty is a ruler and that is how I define it. Because it makes you to stay in darkness and to be hopeless and it puts a yoke on you that you have no confidence.

Poverty makes you have low self esteem. It will make you scared all the time, worried about tomorrow, worried about where food will come from, how you will pay your rent, how you will provide for your children's future.

Poverty will make your mind to think that this is all there is to life, that you are stuck and will always be in this condition. It makes you a slave to your needs each day.

From the spiritual side, it will make you doubt that you have a Father who is rich and is the creator of all that is in the earth. It makes you doubt that you can go to the Light. So often; people choose the darkness, witchcraft and the worship of idols, as their source of hope. Then you will die and go to hell and forever be a slave to the darkness.

Poverty rules your life and often times your eternity if you let it. It blocks you from finding the way to heaven, and trusting God and the Light of His Hope.

Poverty is a yoke that only Christ can break."

Samuel Liben - June 1, 2011