Everyone is looking for the edge — the fastest, happiest, least expensive, most highly leveraged way to make money and to succeed at work, love and play. In our consumer-driven lifestyle, that seems only natural. Black Friday is a bigger celebration for many than Easter. We certainly do this in church, too. We look for the greatest insight, the most powerful worship experience, best growth method, the latest technique.
We may have missed one.
In fact, I am not sure how we could have passed this one up.
It’s a subject that is found in almost every book of the Bible, has hundreds of promises attached, and warns of dire consequences for those who ignore it. It’s not one that we should miss. But why do we never hear a sermon about the poor? It seems to be a subject that is off limits, not very popular, and certainly not on the best-seller list at the Christian book store.
It’s found in some popular passages. Isaiah 58:6-7 describes true fasting as sharing food, shelter and clothing with the needy, and asks, “Is this not the fast I have chosen?”
And it doesn’t take much of a search to find some really good life-changing truth about the poor. Jeremiah 22:16 says: “He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the LORD.
We need to be careful before we blame the preachers for not talking about this when it’s us who don’t really like to hear about it. We will occasionally write a check in response to a really good appeal, and that feels good to us. But it doesn’t line us up with the heart of God, or put us in line with his intention for the poor.
Like many things, perhaps our discomfort is due to our sense of anxiety—if we discuss poverty, we feel like we have to knock on wood. And talking to poor people will most assuredly make us confront our own fears about poverty, and what’s worse it might lay claim to some personal responsibility to respond.
Consider this: Biblical instruction, promises and principles related to the poor are a significant part of the message of the Bible. We have misunderstood what the Bible describes as poverty, and we are missing one of our greatest opportunities for God’s blessing, when we fail to make this understanding and practice a part of our lives. It’s not just about the poverty we see on late night television. It’s also about the poverty that grips the spirits of those we work with, the spiritual hunger that we see in the eyes of our fellow shoppers, the grief of a young father whose marriage isn’t working, and the tired sigh of the lady on the train next to us on her daily commute. Until we understand how the Bible views poverty, we are really missing out.
One practical way to step into these waters is to do a needs assessment. It kind of a safe way to start figuring out what is happening around you in your community. I have found a tool which can help you explore your community, click here to find out more information about the members of your zip code.
Do you want to get an edge? Here is a suggestion from Matthew 23:11 (The Message): “Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant.” Decide that you are going to get a handle on this subject and then do something about it. Make it personal, discover your own poverty and become an answer to another’s. If you are a preacher, wade into deep water and talk about this issue. If you are a compassion worker, then step beyond your fears and find some ways to help people. If you are someone with lots to lose, then consider it all loss and dive in anyway. It is a promise with a blessing.