I’m constantly struck by how many times the Bible mentions helping the poor and needy!
What kills me is that I read that and think to myself, why is it that I’m not as concerned as I should be when it comes to helping the poor, weak and marginalized members of society?
If God has such a huge heart for them and cares deeply for their needs, what is it about me that needs to change?
My guess is that you and I are in the same boat. Sure, we care about the poor, but if we were honest with ourselves and others - we’d have to admit that we aren’t as generous as we should be!
So, as usual, I take the areas that I’m convicted in and try to turn it into a post.
I started brainstorming some reasons why we, as Americans, are not as generous as we should be. American Christians are the wealthiest Christians to have ever lived (does Solomon count?) and yet we, on average, give a measly 3% to church and I imagine much less to the poor and needy.
So here are five reasons why we are not as generous as we should be:
Pride
“I worked hard to get where I am today! The poor need to get off their butts and get jobs! If I did it, they can too!”
Ever think that?
“You know what their problem is, they’re just too lazy!”
“They milk the system”
“They want everything for free!”
Ever say those things?
That’s a sure sign you suffer from pride. You are great and they are not. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Many poor folks are victims of circumstance. Not all, but many of them.
Many of them would love to get jobs and work hard, but they lack opportunities - or they lack the education, the transportation, the network, the social skills, the marketing skills etc. etc.
Ask yourself this – if you were born into those same circumstances that many of our poor are born into, what would you be doing today?
Be careful with pride – God hates it, and it kills your generosity!
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Debt
Credit card debt, over-extended mortgages, home equity lines, auto loans – they all have a way of choking out generosity because our additional resources are going towards monthly payments!
So many Christians are paying ridiculous amounts of interest on stuff they thought they needed. Most of those trinkets will end up in a landfill in a few short years.
We are far to easily amused by gadgets and other items that we’ll plunge ourselves into crazy debt in search of joy.
What if we as Christians decided to simplify our lifestyles and live debt free? Imagine how generous we could be without massive debt looming over our heads.
Greed
Jesus warns people way more often about greed than he does about sex and yet almost no one thinks they’re guilty of greed.
I think we all need to begin with an attitude of “this could definitely be an issue for me”.
Because greed hides so deeply, and is so pervasive in our westernized, American Dream culture , we need to take a serious look at our own hearts.
Are we clamoring for more stuff and squeezing out generosity in the mean time?
Stinginess
Proverbs 23:6-7 says, “Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; do not desire his delicacies, for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.”
Penny-pinchers do not have generous hearts – they calculate every last cent to ensure no one gets more than they should.
Busyness
Busyness robs us of true wealth. We miss opportunities to be generous when we’re overly busy.
We often numb ourselves with self-centered activities, hobbies, and endeavors and give little regard to our neighbors let alone the poor, weak and disenfranchised.
Are we too busy to give freely of our time and money?
What About You?
Any other reasons why you’re not as generous as you should be?
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow…I’m feeling a bit convicted now. Thanks for a great post!
Kaye, thanks for checkin’ in. Don’t worry, I’m convicted too!
I think i’m up there with the busyness and sometimes on the stinginess. I have to constantly remind myself to be more giving – although in some respects I think we’re all pretty selfish – and if we’re not relying on Him, we’ll end up falling back into our selfish ways – and not giving.
This is one of my largest motivations for getting out of debt! I think that all of these can be key reasons and we should constantly check ourselves for them.
One thing I would say is that some of the things you listed under pride, I would just call being wise. We can’t just throw our money around to anyone that claims to have a need, so we need to be wise and evaluate things. However, this can lead to us thinking that we are better than the one in need – good point!
Khaleef – great point about being wise. I think the distinction would be, wisdom says, how can I help this person in the best way possible, while pride says they should help themselves.
Pete – you’re right, we are all prone to selfishness and a lack of generosity for sure. Gotta check our hearts motivations all the time.
Hi Jason.
I think the answer to why we are not generous to the poor – is that we understand so little the gospel.
Jesus spoke of how he came anointed of the Father to preach the good news – to the poor to the needy, to bind up the broken hearted. He came and did wonders for the sick, hungry and lame. Yet it was all to point to something beyond the physical. It was to point to our spiritual nature. He demonstrated his love for them by feeding them when they were hungry (physically) with bread blessed from heaven (The feeding of 5000 etc). This all was for one purpose – to point to us who are the truly poverty in Spirit and ultimately how he would feed us with the “true bread” from heaven (himself)
I believe once we grasp how truly “poor” we are in spirit, and how generous God has been to us – by giving us the “richness” of his righteousness in Christ which we were destitute of, we will have a heart of generosity.
Simply put : I don’t think we as believers see our own poverty. And until we fully grasp that, our attitude to others that are poor will not be right. We may give to the poor, but it may be out of a position of “superiority”. Not out of a spirit of humility not seeing ourselves better than they.
I read the scriptures in a different light now when it talks about the poor and needy. For example, when Isaiah? speaks about dealing thy bread to the poor and needy, it doesn’t refer to the physically poor and needy only. It refers to those who need the bread of Christ. Those who are poor and needy around us because they lack the gospel. Even the Lord’s prayer takes on a different light: Give us our daily bread. That also means to me: give me Christ today. Let me “see” / perceive Christ. Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God- and the written word all points to Christ.
The attitude for the lost, is the very same that is to those who are impoverished physically.
So I believe that once we grasp the power of the cross – how we are so poor and needy ourselves, our hearts will change. And that same compassion to all poor and needy (both spiritually and physically) will be manifest.
I find it astounding the parallels between “physical life” and the spiritual. Once you get the heart of the matter right, it spreads out into all areas.
So I submit to you that if we get the gospel right and see it’s power, our dealings with the poor will radically change
Great comment Moses!! Thanks for your insight – reorientation back to gospel – the wealth poured out for us – is always the key!
Hey Jason
I’ll share something that I always have to tell myself to keep me in that “reoriented state”.
Whenever I feel proud, or clingy to *my* things, I have to ask myself “what do I have that I have not received”.
That usually brings me back to my senses to realize – it is ALL a gift from God. And that enables me to let go – for none of it’s mine.
So the mindset that I try to take (which is really a battle to maintain) is that I own nothing. Yet I am a steward of all things. Then everything changes because it’s not about possessing but stewarding – which means more can be given, and yet an account will also be taken.
A verse that often comes to mind is “he who is faithful with little is faithful with much”. That verse has been helpful in letting me let go and be generous. Because knowing that I only have it because God gave it to me – can He not give me more? And if I can be found faithful in the little I have (by giving sacrificially, and being generous), will he not give me greater things to steward?
So for me, it is a constant striving to be “empty” and merely a conduit by which God’s grace (materially, or through talents and ability) can bless others. But once I clog the channel (by hoarding and spending it on myself) then the flow stops. Why would God bless me, when I take what He gives and use it for my selfish ends? But where I find the freedom and power to give is to know that as I am found faithful in stewarding well the little I have (and being a good steward means dealing my ‘bread’ to the hungry), I may be given much! My task then is to keep this “conduit” clean and free from “self” so God can move things through me.
It’s a tough battle tho! But I’m so glad you bring these things up! Great questions! Keep it up!! And may the Lord work that true self-less giving love in all of us! That’s His promise isn’t it? He *will* do it in us ! He will finish the good work!
Have a great weekend
Jason,
I’ve worked closely with helping the poor for decades and I’ve come to realize that you can’t help everyone. I’ve run into both situations that you mentioned in pride and they are real issues. It’s not pride for me to walk away from those.
In some cases, it’s like working with an addict. People won’t change no matter how much help you give until they are ready to make that change.
There are so many unused programs that our tax dollars pay for as well as non profit organizations to provide help if people are willing to reach out and ask.
I’ve walked the barrios negotiating with drug dealers to keep users out of playgrounds. Some cared because they didn’t want their brothers or sisters to end up like themselves. Others wouldn’t give me the time of day.
I just stop now when I think someone is not ready to change their life. There are so many others in need.
Kim, I agree with you – there are certainly some folks for whatever reason who don’t really want to be helped. We definitely need to be wise in determining who to help because you’re right, we can’t help everyone.
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