Help the Poor 3

Isaiah 1:16-17

Look around you. Take stock of your surroundings. Do you live in a comfortable house – warm in winter, cool in summer? Do you have a job, an income? Is there food in your cabinets and clean clothes to wear?

If so then you are better off than millions of people around the world. And when you hear about the poor and needy in the world, starving children in Africa, orphans in Bosnia, displaced families in the Middle East, or even a struggling family down the street, it is easy to reach in your wallet and pull out a few bills to help them out. But what then? Are the problems solved?

The prophet Isaiah was speaking the words of God when he addressed a people living in comfort, celebrating their own lives and special holidays with abundance and ignoring the problems of the needy living among them. What does God command? What should we do for the oppressed? What about the poor families?

There is nothing wrong with expressions of mercy and compassion, even if they are in limited amount. A few dollars here and there, a donation of canned goods and used clothing can make a difference in the lives of the very poor. But it can’t solve the problems faced each day by so many people.

Isaiah urges his listeners to learn to do right. He tells them to seek justice and encourage the oppressed. We are called to defend the needy and plead their case.

Donations to address immediate needs are necessary and helpful when dealing with the poor, but it must go beyond that. Need and struggles are symptoms of a larger problem, the problem of chronic poverty. The solution is to address the core issue of poverty. To do that we as Christians need to put our time, talent and efforts into changing the way things are.

One time gifts or occasional giving is not enough to stop poverty. We are called to find justice and fairness for the underprivileged, to offer training and education to those stuck in oppressive societal conventions. If we will live out the teachings of Christ we will take action to teach and train, to change our society to be more helpful to the needy so they may achieve a better life.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What long-term solution can you and your church work on to help end poverty?