The Christian Pauper Mentality

A pauper holds grudges because he cannot accept forgiveness; a pauper’s inferior view of himself reflects his attitude towards others. An indigent person is consumed by his subsistence predicament and will find ways to preserve the little that he has. “The rich man’s wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty” (Prv 10:15). The mind of a pauper shapes a self-preservative worldview; he cannot forgive others because he cannot set himself free from self-imposed imprisonment. A pauper’s mind shapes pessimistic expectations and “develop[s] a survival mentality” (p. 31). Unable to find the motivation to move forward, the pauper tries to restrain others through emotional manipulations and self-pity. The pauper’s inhospitality reflects his fearful and reactive tendencies; his fearfulness results from unbelief. “When paupers acquire money or things, they tend to get their identity from them” (p. 33).

The author writes, “It is the privilege and the responsibility of royalty to forgive” (p. 39). A prince does not view forgiveness as a detriment and loss but as a kingly duty in setting others free from guilt and condemnation. “Princes and princesses are commissioned to see the people they lead reach their full potential in God” (p. 44). In God’s infinite mercy, sinners are forgiven and brought into the kingdom of God. A princely mindset is not overwhelmed by the lack of ability, for he operates on the principle of faith to bring the goodness of the King to others. The Prince of Glory condescended to set us free from the tyranny of sin and death; as born-again Christians, “we have the mind of Christ” (1Cor 2:16), and His blood has “made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth” (Rev 5:10). We are made partakers of divine nature (2Pet 1:4) and possess not only His mind but His ministry, Paul exhorts us to “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free” (Gal 5:1). A princely mindset is free from the slavery of fear and lust to serve the needs of others (1Pet 4:10). When the Lord set free, are indeed finally free (John 8:36) to deal bountifully with others bringing the heavenly riches of Christ’s kingdom to the world (Phil 4:19).