Is It the Church's Job to Alleviate Poverty?

We recently began a book study with the volunteers from Food for Life in which we are studying the book, "When Helping Hurts, How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself," by Corbett and Fikkert. We will be continuing the study through the end of September. During this time that we are reading the book and considering its teachings, we are asking ourselves the age old question, "Is it the church's job to alleviate poverty?"

Well, such a question can cause all kinds of thoughts to rattle around in the mind of a Christian. Ultimately, we all know that God alone is equipped and able to truly alleviate poverty. So the answer to that question ultimately is, "No, it is God's job." However, did God not call believers over and over again to submit themselves to be the instruments through which He cares for the poor? The echoing answer to that question is, "Yes, yes, yes!"

Those who have traveled throughout the world know that poverty in the U.S. looks very different than poverty in many other countries. However, Scripture is clear that God calls believers to be involved in ministering in the community in which they live, specifically to the poor, widows, and orphans. Well, there is a growing ferver for taking care of the orphans. Adoptions are taking place all around our communities. As well, in most cases widows are taken care of by their own families. However there seems to be a lack of passion in many cases when it comes to taking care of the poor. Or could it be that there is a lack of understanding as to what that will have to look like here in the "Land of Opportunity"?

Most believers understand the story of the Good Samaritan, and would gladly do the same, if by some random chance they saw a person beat, wounded, and in need of clothes on the side of the road, they would not pass him by but would lend a helping hand. However, most of the poor among us are not going to be in such obvious need before our very eyes and in so directly in our path that we trip over them.
So to the church here in the U.S., what does helping those who are living in poverty really look like? One might be tempted to even say or at least think, there is opportunity everywhere, if they are poor, it is their own fault. So then we must ask ourselves the question, is it the job of the believer to pick and choose who they should help? Do we have the privelege of making judgements about who "deserves" our help and who doesn't?

I propose to you that there are two chategories into which most people living in poverty in the U.S. will fall. One chategory includes the individual that is poor due to no fault of their own, for example the widow, the orphan, or the abused spouse that has been abandoned with little financial resources. The second chategory includes those who are experiencing poverty due to the results of their own sin, for example those who are lazy, irresponsible, trapped by additctions, etc. Is it the church's job to be instruments of mercy to both chategories of poverty, or do we get to differientiate which chategory each poor person falls into and then decide who deserves our help? And then when that determination has been made, is it going to be as easy as helping the Good Samaritan, a sacrifice that only involved about one day or so of service and financial assistance. Wouldn't it be easy if we could do random acts of kindness that only took one day of our time, energy, emotion, and financial resources and feel that our job was done...we had accomplished helping the poor as the Scripture says.

I propose that the answer to the question, should we be willing to help the poor in both chategories according to Scripture is most assuredly, "Yes!" The difference will be in how we help. There are individuals out there that only need a little financial assistiance, a job, or a home and their lives will be improved forever. However, those who are poor due to their own sin need help as well, but that help must come in the form of relationship. The sacrifice is much greater when a Christian answers the call to help the poor individual in this situation, because it is not just a one-time act of sacrifice, it is a lifetime of building a relationship that with God's power will change that person's life and alleviate poverty. That is the call that God delivers to the believer through Scripture, "Come and share your life, Christian, to be an instrument of mercy to the poor?" Will you answer the call?
~Charity