• To Teach Us Contentment: By not having all and enough we learn to be contented. Through it we also learn to be grateful for gifts and opportunity. In Philippians 4:11-12, we read: “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”

• To Show His Sovereignty: God is sovereign and has the power to do whatever He wants. Sometimes, He allows some people to be rich and others poor to demonstrate His power and authority. In Romans 9:20-21, we read: “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is moulded say to its moulder, ‘why have you made me like this?’ Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honourable use and another for dishonourable use?” This verse reminds us that God is the potter and we are the clay. He has the right to make and use us forwhatever purpose he wants.

• To Teach Us Dependence: God sometimes allows us to experience poverty to teach us dependence on Him. In Deuteronomy 8:2–3, we read: “And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” This verse reminds us that God provides for us and sustains us, even in difficult times. There is actually no man on earth who is not in want of ‘something’.

• To Show His Grace And Mercy: God sometimes blesses people with wealth to demonstrate His grace and mercy. In 2 Corinthians 9:8, we read: “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that, in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” This verse tells us that God is generous and love to bless His people. However, we must remember that the blessings we receive are not meant for us alone but to bless others as well. God sometimes allows us to experience poverty to teach us contentment and gratitude. We must realise that contentment is a must lesson. It will help us to be happy and fulfilled in any circumstance we find ourselves. The truth about life is that, we do not need wealth or possessions to experience joy and happiness.

• Test Of Faith: God sometimes allows us to go through ‘difficult times’ to test our faith and strengthen our character. This is evident in the story of Job in the Bible. Job was a wealthy man who lost everything, including his family and possessions. However, he did not lose his faith in God; HE remained steadfast in his trust in Him. Job’s story teaches us that wealth is not a guarantee for happiness or life security; we must place more importance in our faith in God than we do to our material possessions.

Wealth can be defined as the abundance of valuable possessions or money, while poverty is the state of being extremely poor or lacking basic necessities of life. Wealth or poverty is defined within the context, norm and value of a given society and or individual. What one group considers wealth may not be the same by another group.

On the other hand, poverty can also be a blessing or a curse. The wise man in Proverbs 22:2 said: “The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all.” This explains that God is the creator of all mankind, irrespective of caste, colour, status, gender or wealth ¬¬— rich or poor. Our duty is to treat all men equally and with a deep sense of regard and respect.
God gives us the opportunity to lead people because leadership is an opportunity to be a channel of guidance, mentorship and blessing to others. We are what we are not because we are the best, but because whatever life affords for us is a gift not really a merit. We are, therefore, under obligation to be good to all men. Let us pray!
• Being a talk delivered by the Ven. Stephen Wolemonwu, Rector, Ibru Ecumenical Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State, during Olorogun Michael C. O. Ibru Memorial Thanksgiving