“Share your food with everyone who is hungry; share your home with the poor and homeless. Give clothes to those in need; don’t turn away your relatives” —Isaiah 58:7
The Bible talks a lot about caring for the poor. It is a reflection of God’s heart to meet the needs of His children. So how do we as Christians take care of the poor?
Here are three ways to get you started:
1. View all of humanity as equal.
“Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all” —-Proverbs 22:2
God knew that when darkness entered the world because of humanity’s fall, there would be inequality among us. He loves His children and wanted to be sure we are taken care of, so he commanded us to view each other as equals despite our material possessions. We were all created by God and we are to use what we have been given to care for those in need — not because we are better than but because God blesses so that we can bless others. We are the hands and feet of Jesus and are to love like Him.
2. Do more than just give money.
Giving directly to people in need is helpful, but what can be more helpful is to give to trustworthy organizations who can meet the needs of the poor in the best ways because that’s what they do on a day to day basis. Often, organizations will give the poor opportunities to get them out of their situation such as schooling, training, or even assistance with job searching. This will leave a longlasting impact and is the best use of your finances.
Another way to help more than just financially is volunteering. Volunteer locally with your church’s mission outreach team or join a mission’s team that serves the poor internationally! To learn more about the importance of doing more than just giving money directly to the poor, read our blog post about when helping hurts.
3. Give them a voice.
The Lord asks us to fight against injustice. Use your voice to spread the word about the issues facing the poor and the organizations that do
“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression.” –Isaiah 1:17
If you feel a call to jump in and help the poor whether it’s poor financially, physically or poor in spirit, we would love to connect you with our mission and talk about ways you can help us meet needs around the world! Connect with us here.
