Spiritual Bankruptcy by Mayada Naami

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? (Matthew 16:26, NIV)

In 2011, after my second divorce, I was homeless and financially bankrupt. Until that moment I had been turning to someone or something to fill me up, which ultimately led to my spiritual bankruptcy. “Spiritual bankruptcy” is a term used in the 12-step program to describe addicts who have lost their connection to a higher power. The more I had tried to gain the whole world, the more I had forfeited my soul. I look back on that person in 2011 (BC-before Christ) and I smile. I thank God every day for Jesus. If He had not sacrificed everything for me, I would still be that person, disconnected from the Holy Spirit—spiritually bankrupt.

If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing (1 Cor 13:3, NIV).

God is love, if you do not have God, you gain nothing. You can be the richest person in the world and be spiritually bankrupt; disconnected from God. The good news is, when I was at the lowest point in my life, I made the decision to surrender and submit to the Highest Authority and connect to His power through the Holy Spirit. It was not a conscious decision. At that time, I did not understand the process of salvation. I was just so empty and lost that I gave up control of my life. Sadly, it’s at this lowest point that some people give up. I chose to give up my life in the spiritual realm. I rejected my spirit of control, and submitted to a Higher Power because somehow, I knew I needed to depend on God and not man.

This is what Jesus taught us in the Sermon on the Mount. In the first of the Beatitudes, He says “the poor in spirit” will inherit the kingdom of heaven. Being poor in spirit is a spiritual mindset that reflects itself as humility, dependence on God, and an openness to His will. In essence, giving up control of your life and submitting your will to His will. Sound easy? Well, it’s not for most people. It was the hardest thing for me to do. It’s a committed process that takes time and dedication. It’s the beginning of the most powerful and precious relationship in the world—with your Lord and Savior. You become aware of your desperate need for God and finally understand you cannot “live” without Him. God blesses those who are poor in spirit and realize their need for Him. I am blessed today in ways that cannot be measured, and I wish the same blessings to you.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3, NIV).

Are you spiritually bankrupt? Are you feeling empty and ready to fill your tank with God’s love? Are you ready to fully surrender your life to Christ and submit your will to His will for your life?

Reflect

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Prayer

Lord, help me to surrender control of my life fully to you. I humbly kneel before you, asking you to guide me in my steps. Without you my life is empty and meaningless.