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.

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

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

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.