Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man. (Ecclesiastes 9:15 – NKJV).

I was meditating on this Scripture one day, when God began speaking to me. I usually use this scripture to justify my desire not to be poor. I saw poverty as a curse (and to some extent it is), but how I viewed this scripture is that if we wish to have great influence and be remembered, we cannot do it from the perspective of poverty. A poor man is not remembered, regardless of what he did.

So, in my mind, I needed to drive a certain kind of car and live somewhat of a lavish lifestyle to be seen by men and considered a voice of influence in the world of men. I was even told that based on this scripture, I should not expect anyone to really listen to me speak on faith because it is not reflected in the kind of car that I drove, how I dressed and my reality of being indebted.

So, I was complaining within myself, thinking my outward accumulated possessions needed to reflect a faith that produced material things in order to be seen, heard and remembered, when the Lord spoke gently to my soul. He said I was missing the point. “How so, Lord?”

“The poor, wise man saved the city, and he was okay with not being known, seen, or remembered.”

Heaven’s perspective of us and what we do is very different from the earthly, human perspective. Where we see poverty, God sees an abundance of wealth and influence. The man was poor, and he was wise, and the entire city benefitted from his wisdom. He may not have received a pat on the back, accolades, the best seats in the house or an abundance of praise from the lips of men, but his story was impactful enough to be recorded in the records of human history. His name may not be on the lips or the pen of men, but he is known by God.

Your social status has nothing to do with what God has called you to do. You don’t need to be seen or rewarded by men. Your accolades and recognition come from the One who created you. Do not feel pressured to accumulate possessions or spend foolishly on maintaining a certain social status to increase your influence. It is nothing but a smoke screen. Humble yourself enough to change a nation or the world, and not be remembered.