Photographer Steve Liss visited the Forerider family of Coolville, Ohio, one of the poorest towns in Ohio. In this video from AmericanPoverty.org, he interviews Shirley Forerider, a motivated mother who gets something about poverty that many are unwilling to believe–poverty can’t be summarized as irresponsibility. She’s also got a kick-butt attitude that makes your best work ethic look junior varsity.
It don’t matter where you live. It don’t matter where you came from. We’re all the same. Some’s rich. Some’s poor. And some’s right in the middle. Well, I’m one of the ones that didn’t come rich, and you know what, I’m going to make it some day. – Shirley
Shirley’s story reminds me about “prosperity theology” and “poverty theology.”
In prosperity theology, God loves rich people more than he loves poor people, as evidenced by his blessing. In poverty theology, God loves poor people more than he loves rich people, who are vilified as greedy thieves. The problem with both these theologies is that they make money the issue. The real issue is not money but righteousness. There are not two kinds of people — rich and poor — but four kinds of people: the righteous rich, the unrighteous rich, the righteous poor and the unrighteous poor. – Mark Driscoll, Rich or poor, it’s righteousness that really matters
I don’t know if Shirley is a righteous or unrighteous steward. Let’s not waste time guessing. Instead, mull over your own money situation. Use Jamie Munson‘s chart below. This isn’t about having empty or full pockets. This is about what your heart is full of, gratitude or greed. Which are you?
| Gratitude | Greed | |
|---|---|---|
| Attitude | Humility (Phil 2:3) | Grumbling (Phil: 2:15) |
| Perspective | Grace: “I am a sinner who deserves death, but Jesus paid the price and gave me his perfect righteousness.” | Entitlement: “I am a good person who deserves heaven–plus a comfortable, pain-free existence in the meantime.” |
| Desire | Jesus is enough to satisfy my life. | Jesus is not enough. I want wealth / fame / comfort / power as well. |
| Money | God gives. Therefore my money is his, and I use it to glorify him. | I earn. Therefore my money is mine, and I use it however I please. |
| Possessions | Contentment: I have enough | Covetous: I never have enough |
| Church | Serve as a member of God’s family | Be served as a consumer |
| Job | Work heartily for the Lord, cultivating thanks for God’s provision (Deut. 8:17; Col 3:23) | Work begrudgingly for the man, becoming bitter and jealous against others (James 3:16) |
| Family | A blessing to embrace | A burden to escape |
| Future | Eternal: optimistic / hopeful (2 Cor. 4:7-9) | Temporal: pessimistic / anxious |
| Worship | Time, energy, and resources go to God | Time, energy, and resources go to me |
| Identity | Jesus and his achievements | My abilities and my achievements |
| Giving | Generous | Guilt- or gain-motivated (or non-existent) |
Taken from “Money, God or Gift” by Jamie Munson.
I once heard Andy Stanley teach, “What you have is far less important than what you do with what you have.” I appreciate that you draw attention to the condition of the heart rather than simply focusing on one’s financial position. It’s certainly an important reminder to keep things in proper perspective.
Thanks Ryan! I had not heard Andy’s quote before, but that summarizes this blog post very well.
Thanks for writing this; it’s such a helpful reminder about what really matters about us.