“I don’t give a flip about the poor. I think they are lazy frauds that beg off people just to go buy booze. Why on earth should I help them?” I declared to my husband.
After doing a Beth Moore Bible study on the book of James, I was aghast at how many Scriptures command us to help the poor. Helping the poor is something commanded by Jesus, James, and tons of other Scriptures. I was floored and horrified because I have never heard a sermon about helping the poor, and I don’t care one whit about them. What is wrong with my hardened heart?
(Here are some verses about helping the poor: Exodus 22:21-27, Leviticus 19:9-10, Leviticus 25:35-38, Deuteronomy 14:28-29, Deuteronomy 15:7-11, Deuteronomy 24:17-22, 1 Samuel 2:7, Nehemiah 5:6-13, Psalm 12:5, Psalm 112:5, Proverbs 14:21, Proverbs 14:31, Proverbs 17:5, Proverbs 19:17, Proverbs 22:16, Proverbs 28:8, Proverbs 28:27, Isaiah 3:14, Isaiah 58:5-7, Isaiah 61:1-2, Ezekiel 18:5-9, Amos 5:11, Matthew 19:21, Luke 6:34-35, 38, Luke 14:12-14, Galatians 2:10, James 2:1-7, Revelation 3:17.)
As I was reading the book of James, I was convicted that we live “in luxury and in self-indulgence” in this country, and meanwhile other believers are working hard and don’t have enough to feed their families. In the body of Christ, we ought to fill each other’s needs instead of overpampering ourselves. My husband has the gift of giving. If he sees a need, he automatically fills the need of the other person. I am not talking about professional beggars that are liars. What I’m talking about is interconnecting with other believers in the body of Christ, whether at a local church, or with other homeschoolers, or with friends. These people aren’t lazy and shouldn’t be lumped in with frauds.
I do NOT believe the poor should get help from the government (aside from not having to pay taxes), because then they feel a sense of entitlement and demand it, and the majority stop working. That’s sin. If someone doesn’t work, neither shall he eat. (II Thessalonians 3:10) If someone doesn’t provide for his family, he is worse than an unbeliever. (I Timothy 5:8) But if someone is working hard and still can’t feed his children, and you know about it and do nothing, you are guilty of sin. Read James 2:15-17: “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” God says your faith is dead if you see someone in need (for real), and you don’t help them.
We enjoy hoarding and piling up all of our money at the bank. There is nothing wrong with being rich, since Abraham was rich, and so was Job, and they were both godly people. But both Abraham and Job gave to other people and didn’t just hoard it to amass riches.
This whole idea of hoarding money reminds me of the man in Scripture who had full granaries and worked super hard to become rich, only to have his soul required of him that very night. “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'” (Luke 12:20)
Tags: Christian Living, finances, hoarding, money
I think one reason we don’t give goes back to your article from yesterday. We’ve adopted the scarcity mindset and we don’t think we can “afford it”. Maybe we’d have more to give if we stopped trying to be so pious in our frugality and let God show us what he can do.
We also need to understand that “rich” is a relative term. I’m reading the book Simplify. The author describes some very good reasons to live a more minimalist type lifestyle. One of them is so we can give more. He makes the point that one man decided to sell his house so he can give the money away. OK, so he has several other houses. So, you’re thinking “that’s great for him but I don’t have an extra house”. But the question is, do you have an extra shirt? Or could you buy one less shirt and use that money to buy someone a tank of gas? (Or maybe a half a tank!)
The point is, we do live in a rich country and if we were really honest about what we have and what we need, we do have something to give.
Yes, if we suffer to be frugal, then we don’t want to part with the money that we suffered for. For me, it was harder for me to give when I was scrimping all the time.
You sound a lot like my husband! 🙂
I like what you said here: “we live ‘in luxury and in self-indulgence’ in this country, and meanwhile other believers are working hard and don’t have enough to feed their families. In the body of Christ, we ought to fill each other’s needs instead of overpampering ourselves.”
That’s so true! We make a point of going through our home each month and finding things we can donate to others who may need them. It is surprising what a family can collect over the years. We’re taking a much closer look at what we truly need this year and what we can part with. It’s been liberating and rewarding to donate each month this year.
I needed help this fall not money wise. Just needed the Pastor of my church to visit my son who is in a treatment center. He is 15 and trying to deal with a lot of stress from his dad and step dad and just adjusting to a mixed family setting. He was acting act but when I contacted my church that I have been going to for 3 years they would not even responses back. So sometimes it is not money you can give. Sometimes it is just being there. I am poor don’t have a lot of money to give but I tried to tied when I can. I am still looking for a Pastor in Las Vegas that is willing to visit my son who is in long term now for at least 3-6 months.
Yes, sometimes it’s not money that people need, but for someone to care. Love is what God commands us to do. May God give us more love for each other!