By any and every measure, I have not experienced poverty. Financial difficulties, yes. Poverty, certainly not. In fact, my definition of poverty has gone through several re-definitions. Living in the urban slums of North Philadelphia during my college years, I thought the surrounding “projects” amounted to abject poverty. I now know they would be considered middle class communities in much of the world. I once thought the lowest rung of the ladder was the urban slums of East Africa. I was wrong. It can get even worse. Much worse. I know that. And our Pastors and Ministry Leaders know that. And with that reality in mind, we all have something to face.
The world’s response to poverty is well known: raise the standard of living to one closer to our own. As if “more” is always better, and “abundance” is always an improvement. Clearly that’s not true. Oftentimes “more” breeds Covetousness and “abundance” morphs into Entitlement. Those are Sin issues. And the world has no answers for Sin.
Which begs the questions:
Does Poverty have a Purpose in God’s view? And if so,
What does God establish as our Righteous Response to Poverty?
These are not mere theological points to ponder in a monastery. Rather these are profound moral questions facing mankind that demand a Biblical response.
“Does Poverty have a Purpose?” According to God...“Yes!” It’s not hard to find. But it may be hard to accept...
“If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the LORD against you, and it become Sin among you. You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy,in your land.’ ”
It seems God’s Primary Purpose is work in the hearts and minds of those with the Abundance. He allows some to go without, in order to accomplish His work in those with Excess. Admittedly, there are a multitude of moral lessons, but we will focus on simply one: God’s Goal is not to simply eradicate Poverty. It is rather to eradicate trust in our Abundance. Poverty, according to the Word of God, provides a God-given Opportunity for those “with,” not for those “without.” Paul the Apostle explains...
“...For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; but by an equality, that now at this time your Abundance may supply their Lack, that their Abundance also may supply your Lack - that there may be equality. As it is written, ‘He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.’ “
And so, we have a “great exchange” prescribed for all. Those with an Abundance are described as having a “lack.” And that “lack” is remedied in giving liberally to the poor. The fact that the poor’s lack is one of Material Provision is universally obvious. But what is oftentimes ignored is the Moral “lack” that rests in the realm of those with Abundance.
Which leads us to the second question:
“What does God define as our Righteous Response to Poverty?”
Again, we will limit ourselves to one summary point (although there are many). God defines our righteous response as sacrificing our standard of living. Giving it away to the point of real-life, permanent reduction. To the point of “equality.” This in no way affirms humanistic, nihilistic, socialist, communist “economic equality” philosophies of man. Much the opposite! Such programs and philosophies are amoral at best, but most often outright atheistic, anti-God aggression.
How does this impact us practically? If nothing else, it exposes the moral flaw of merely giving to raise others to a higher standard of living. Yet that seems to be what much of the Church is doing these days. Giving, giving and more giving...until we remove the guilt and shame of our Abundance. All the while retaining enough so that our basic living standards remain relatively unchanged. The Christmas shoe boxes are sent, but the church café is still renovated to be stylishly chic. The poor children are sponsored, but the church playground is expanded yet again. Sure, a few luxury items are sacrificed. But cutting into the joints and marrow would be seen by many as a legalistic extreme. Yet our Savior exemplified living with nowhere to lay down His head. Whose steps are we really following?
Giving by guilt is spiritually shallow. Giving by law is spiritually immature (Hb 8.13; Gal 5.18; Acts 15: 24-29). Giving by emotional manipulation is spiritually bankrupt. Programs that promote such are to be jettisoned. Giving to grow spiritually is to be commended. We, who have a material abundance, have a God-given opportunity to grow in our dependence upon Him. Dependence in the most basic, practical, ground level of existence: day to day Provision. Depending upon His faithfulness. Not upon ourselves. Isn’t this a major tenet of the Lord’s Prayer? Wasn’t this the foundational Purpose of the Sabbath rest? A test of trusting God with our daily, life-sustaining provision, rather than relying upon our own resourcefulness.
At the Bible Schools, we teach this same Biblical perspective to the Pastors and Ministry Leaders. Clearly, most of them live in abject poverty. But even they admit there are many who are much worse off in East Africa. The world’s largest refugee camp is Dadaab, in Kenya. 325,000 desperate souls who pray for the chance to live in Nairobi’s urban slums. The point: there is room for all of us to give regardless of where we sit in the hierarchy of wealth: giving of treasure, of time, and of convenience. And in that glorious exchange of giving, we put ourselves one step closer to depending wholly, unreservedly upon our Sovereign God.
Our Pastors and Ministry Leaders struggle at times to embrace this perspective. Having been born and raised in a Dependency Culture, they are inclined to receive with a attitude of expectation, if not entitlement. It has bred a culture of slothful, covetous, solicitous and cunning attitudes. This much they freely admit. With consistent Biblical Discipleship through the Word of God, most eventually embrace the Biblical “way out”: Work, Stewardship, Giving. Givingas an act of Worship, not Law. Giving as an act of Faith,not Guilt. Giving in order to face what is Lacking most: Unreserved Trust in God.
The world would like to make the poor dependent upon Humanity. Indeed, a global Poverty Industry flourishes on the backs of the poor. It is not based upon Christ-like compassion, but rather human exaltation. And so, Poverty not only persists, it expands in Babylonian proportions by deliberate design.
But God’s agenda is polar opposite. He beckons us to be dependent upon Him, but not in a slothful, hopeless, entitlement-laden bondage. But rather in moral, God-fearing humility and childlike faith in His goodness, love and holiness. In that respect, Biblical Giving is much about the “Lack” in those with the“Abundance.” It’s really about us. Not them.
It’s time for Christians to remove guilt-motivated, legalistic, aimless giving once and for all. And face the deeper issues at hand.
