Every once in a while, I’ll read a book that changes my life. On rare occasion, a single sentence will do the same. Eugene Peterson’s book, Run With the Horses: A Quest for Life at Its Best, contains a sentence that impacted me so much I keep it in a prominent place in my office so I can read it every day.
Peterson wrote, “Showing up at church once a week and saying a hearty Amen is a lot easier than engaging in a life of daily prayer and Scripture meditation that develops into concern for poverty and injustice, hunger and war.”
Our faith is intended to develop and mature to the degree that we care about the same things God cares about. Even a casual reading of Scripture quickly reveals that God cares deeply for the poor. The Bible contains hundreds of passages that refer to the poor or poverty-stricken.
As Christians living in the most prosperous country in the world, we are among the most at risk for becoming out of touch with the poor and suffering. I don’t believe it’s intentional. Most of us don’t mean to disregard the poor. But when we aren’t faced with their reality on a routine basis, we are prone to forget and go about life as usual. Still, God intends for His children to care for the poor. Here are just a few Scriptures that speak to that:
- “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.” (Deuteronomy 15:11)
- “Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.” (Proverbs 17:5)
- “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.” (Proverbs 19:17)
- “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:9)
My intention isn’t to stir guilt, but rather awareness that motivates action. God hasn’t assigned all of us to places of full-time service that meet the needs of the poor. However, those of us who aren’t assigned to full-time service of the poor must continually listen to those who are.
How else will we know how to help?
We can connect through an outreach at church, a soup kitchen, a center for refugees, a rescue mission, a shelter for abused women and children, or some other para-church ministries that focus full-time on serving the poor.
Western Christians have resources and opportunities our brothers and sisters in Christ living in other regions of the world don’t have. We need to steward those resources for the glory of God, and we are called to do that by serving the poor.
Tim Keller says, “There is an inequitable distribution of both goods and opportunities in this world. Therefore, if you have been assigned the goods of this world by God and you don’t share them with others, it isn’t just stinginess, it is injustice.”
The need is never-ending, and the opportunities are limitless. So, how will you share what God has given you?
I’ll leave you with “A Prayer to Have a Heart for the Poor,” from Day 11 of my e-book, 31 Days of Prayer for Spiritual Growth. You can receive your free copy by simply subscribing to the blog.
Father, as Your child and Your servant I want to care about the things You care about. I want to serve Your kingdom purposes. Your Word makes it clear You have a heart for the poor. I pray I will be quick to speak up or those who can’t speak for themselves. I ask You will give me opportunities to advocate for those who are destitute and to defend the rights of the poor (Proverbs 31:8-9). I pray that I will be extravagantly generous with my resources. Jesus said that if I have clothes to wear and food to eat, I am to share with the person who has none (Luke 3:11). I ask that my heart will not be bound to my possessions; instead, I pray You will give me a heart that is tender to the poor. I ask that I use the blessings that You have given me to bless others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
