Bankrupt at All Cost

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)
 
How much money do you have in the bank? We don’t want to be overdrawn; instead, we desire to be flush with cash at all times. It is the American dream…to have more than you need! When Jesus spoke about poverty of spirit, it cut across the grain of His hearers. In fact, most people in His day thought that the really wealthy had the blessing of God over them. Just think how they must have bristled when He spoke these words with power and authority! We may love the poetry of Jesus’ words; but sadly, we resist His directives in this arena.  

Why do we resist spiritual bankruptcy, that place of spiritual brokenness which admits its emptiness? For the Pharisees of Jesus’ time, appearance was everything. The way they appeared to others made a big difference to them. Practicing their religion for others to see was very important to the Pharisees. They tithed their gardens and gave their coins so that others knew they were serious about piety.  

We are so easily sucked into the religious vacuum of our day. In fact, even our vocabulary changes when we enter church and talk to each other. For many of us, it’s all about appearing to know the right catch phrases, and when to say, “Amen.” At times, we find ourselves “out-Phariseeing” the Pharisees themselves. Such behavior will resist spiritual bankruptcy every time.
 
There is something about brokenness which is attractive to the Lord and others. The people who have ministered the most to me personally haven’t been those who have had the neatly packed, three-point sermons. Instead, the people who have made deep impact upon my life are those who have revealed their pain and have been willing to share their journey. More importantly, spiritually bankrupt people actually discover the will of God. The word for today should be “get to bankruptcy” as fast as you can. There is just too much to gain!