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Helping the Poor
Feb 11, 01:19 PM
“You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor in the land.” Deuteronomy 15:11
Giving aid to the poor and needy is central to Kingdom life. It is the one thing you can do without ever having to wonder if you are doing the right thing. You will never have to apologize to God for helping the poor. You might, however, one day have to explain why you didn’t. Giving to the needs of those who have less than you do is an obligation for those to whom much has been given. The affluent must share what they have willingly and joyously. Too many people, however, begrudge what they give with tight-fisted greed or they throw a few morsels over the wall and congratulate themselves for doing so.
One cannot toss a few dollars at the poor occasionally and call oneself blessed for doing it. Dollars and cents will never be a substitute for flesh and blood contact with the disadvantaged. You may think you know them but you don’t. Go there yourself. Get to know the people. They are human beings too. No, they should not be idolized as if they were stars. They have their flaws just like the rest of us. Those of us who have are no better then those who have not. Get past donor/recipient mentality and begin to establish relationships in which there is an exchange of life. We give and receive from each other. One of the greatest demonstrations of respect is to believe that there is something I can receive from you as well as give to you. It is in some ways more about the relationship than the aid anyway (although the aid is important – the poor need it).
Helping the poor is not about you, feeling good about yourself, or getting some kind of tingle or meaning out of it. It is not an occasional “feel good” activity but a continuous engagement. It is done in obedience to God’s command and it is the right thing to do because of that. God never promised that it would be successful, effective, or satisfying. God simply said “open wide your hand.” It is interesting to note that nowhere in Scripture does God promise some kind of bang for your bucks. There is no promise that your aid will have dramatic effect, change the lives of people or change the course of history. If there happens to be any fruit from your generosity, it is to glorify God and to accomplish God’s purposes. It is never easy. You will always have to pray and seek God’s wisdom on how to proceed in every particular situation.
The bottom line of all of this is to cultivate a generous spirit. Generosity scores major Kingdom points. The righteous is generous and gives. (Psalm 37:21) Nothing is sweeter than a generous person. Everything good flows out of them – not just money, but also time, love, concern, mercy and respect. Most of the generous children of God know that however they came to be blessed, God was the source and all that they have belongs to God. The generous spirit adds beauty to the earth and flows freely with the love of God.