Responding to Poverty

Responding to poverty in the world is often the great omission of believers in Jesus Christ. We placate the nagging feeling that we ought to personally respond to poverty by rationalizing, "The need is too overwhelming. What could we do to make a difference?" Sometimes we respond by spiritualizing, giving some type of super-spiritual response partially quoting Jesus' words to his disciples, "You always have the poor with you." Somehow the distorted notion is that we should leave the poor alone because they should always be around and be poor. However, Jesus said in the same verse after he was anointed with costly oil (Mark 14:7), "Whenever you wish you can do good to them [the poor]; but you do not always have Me [to do good to]." Jesus was addressing a current situation not endorsing a perpetual state of poverty for the poor.

     How we respond to poverty somewhat reflects how we view God. Recently I read insightful words by Chris Tiegreen in his book,One Year Walk with God Devotional. Here is a summary of what he wrote in reference to Proverbs 14:31, “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”

     

     “For most of us, caring for the poor is an afterthought. We’re not unconcerned; we’re just not very intentional about our efforts. For God, caring for the poor is essential. It is an emphatic theme in His Word. It is expressed in His wisdom, it is measured by the prophets, it is characteristic of Jesus, and it is a substantial ministry of the New Testament church. From cover to cover, the Bible tells us of God’s concern for the poor.

     “Modern Christianity maintains ministries for the poor, but often they are peripheral ministries… God is a hands-on God, and we are to be hands-on people.

     “Our attitude toward other people is symptomatic of our attitude toward God. Or to put it another way, our love of God will determine how we treat other people – even the very least of them. If we can easily let His creation suffer, we probably don’t think much of God.” 

     

     Since the poor may always be with us, we should be ready to intentionally respond to that reality. I am encouraged when I see ministries like HOPE International www.hopeinternational.org. providing believers opportunities to this. They address not only the physical poverty of individuals but also their spiritual poverty. While it is important to address people's physical needs, to ignore their eternal, spiritual needs is a travesty. Jesus knew that and addressed both the physical and spiritual needs of individuals.