As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. (II Corinthians 6:10)
General Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, was such a man. He was born in near poverty, not far from Nottingham in England. His father died when William was just fourteen, but by that time, the boy was already helping out with the family income by working as a pawnbroker’s apprentice. His mother ran a small shop in a poor neighborhood, trying to sell household goods. Catherine Booth, who became William’s wife, belonged to a prosperous family, but she was the exception. Most of the Salvationists came from the working class, at best, and often from the ranks of the very poor.
It was no accident, surely, that General Booth was a friend of Cecil Rhodes, the empire builder and the founder of the prestigious Debeers Mining Company. Rhodes, who controlled South Africa’s diamond and gold mining industries was one of the wealthiest men in the world. General Booth was one of the poorest. On day, General Booth asked his friend if he was happy. “Me? Happy? Good heavens, No!” replied the millionaire. Truly, as Jesus said, “a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15). The Lord followed up this statement with His famous story of the rich fool, who was facing a lost eternity and didn’t know it. In the middle of the night, even as he was laying out his plans for bigger and better barns, banquets, and birthdays, the voice of God rang out: “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” Then came the Lord’s significant summary: “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21). Cecil Rhodes was rich, but he was not rich toward God. General Booth was poor in this world’s goods, but with all kinds of treasure in heaven.
Taken From: Exploring II Corinthians by John Phillips pg. 154