Why There Is Poverty
By Rev. Dallas E. Henry
Apr 18, 2008 - 10:00:00 AM
1. Injustice causes poverty -
- Proverbs 13:23 “The field of the poor yields abundant food, but without justice, it is swept away.”
Sometimes the immoral actions of others cause poverty. There are those who have lost their businesses, or their homes, or their savings because of the actions of others. One thinks of slot machines here in Maine as a prime example of a significant cause of poverty. We are all aware of those in our society who prey on the weak, the kind and the trusting. Some people are led to poverty through phone solicitations, unscrupulous salesmen, and e-mail scams. Others are led to poverty because of the lawsuits of people trying to get rich at the expense of others. There are many other examples, but, injustice does cause some poverty.
2. Physical & Mental Problems cause poverty -
In Mark 5 we are told about a woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years. She came to Jesus to be healed. During those 12 years though, we are told,
- Mark 5:26 “She ... had endured much under many doctors. She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all.”
We have all seen the homeless in our communities, the people holding up signs saying “Will work for food,”. Many of those people have one mental problem or another and are unable to exist within society. Remember the Gadarene Demoniac was an impoverished outcast as well.
Physical and mental problems can cause poverty.
3. Sinful Living causes poverty
Proverbs 23:21 “... the drunkard & the glutton will become poor…”
There are many who are addicts and drunkards who have nothing and live on the streets. They only live for their next fix or their next drink. Many prostitutes work only to support their habits.
Think of the number of single mothers, those who have had children out of wedlock, living in poverty with their children today, because of both their sins and the sins of others.
Proverbs 13:18 “Poverty and disgrace come to those who ignore instruction ...”
Sinful living can lead to poverty.
4. Laziness causes poverty -
Proverbs 23:21 “... laziness will clothe them rags.”
Proverbs 14:23 “There is profit in all hard work, but endless talk leads only to poverty.”
There are some who live in poverty today because they are lazy. They simply do not want to work. They don’t want to work at school, so they drop out and end up working a job where they can barely make ends meet. They don’t want to work, so they make excuses about how they have been treated unfairly or about why they can’t work.
How right was God when He said through Solomon, Proverbs 22:13 “The slacker says, ‘There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the streets!’” Laziness causes poverty.
A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO POVERTY
1. Be Kind to the poor -
Proverbs 19:17 “Kindness to the poor is a loan to the Lord, & He will give a reward to the lender.”
Proverbs 14:31 “The one who oppresses the poor insults their Maker, but one who is kind to the needy honors Him.”
We are to be kind to the poor, regardless of how they got that way. We are not to despise them or make fun of people in need. We remember that apart from the grace of God, we could be in the same situation.
2. Defend the poor -
Proverbs 31:9 “Speak up and judge righteously, and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy.”
My friend, when you see someone being made fun of, when you see someone being oppressed or taken advantage of simply because they are poor and unable to defend themselves, the Bible says you are to stand up for them. That means the person at school who’s made fun of because they can’t afford the nicest or newest clothes. That means the person at work or next door or at church, who can’t afford to eat that well. It means we need to stamp out the lottery and slot machines in this state, because it is nothing more than a tax on the poor who dream the right ticket will get them out of their poverty.
3. Help the poor -
Help tutor them. Help them find clothes and food. Help them see the possibilities. Sometimes they are simply trapped because they see no way out.
4. Share Christ with the poor -
One of the best ways to help people seemingly trapped in poverty is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them. When people have Jesus in their hearts, He changes their lives and helps them break their addictions to drugs and alcohol. Then, they start going to work regularly. They started staying home with their families instead of running around all over town, spending their money. After a while, the people begin making enough money they begin to support themselves and their children. Teen Challenge is a prime example of these transformed lives.
The Christian Civic League has addressed the subject of Poverty and Economic Justice in a policy statement. You can view all of the policy statements on the League's web site at www.cclmaine.org and click on "Policies".
13. Poverty and Economic Justice
A. We affirm the biblical teaching regarding society’s responsibility to the poor. We believe every Christian has a moral and spiritual duty, before God, to demonstrate genuine compassion for all those in true need, including the aged, the sick, the homeless, and the mentally and physically handicapped. We believe that no person in this state should lack the basic necessities of life, including food, shelter, and clothing.
B. We support policies and programs, which provide employment training and educational opportunities for those who are able-bodied. We believe those who are able to work should be expected and required to work. Therefore, we support reasonable and effective initiatives, in both the public and private sectors, to encourage those who are dependent upon public assistance to become self-sufficient.
C. We believe that private, volunteer and charitable organizations should bear a significant responsibility in caring for the poor. We believe the Church should set up a positive and compassionate example in this regard. We support church sponsored programs to help feed, house and clothe the needy.
D. We support programs to help the poor, which encourage and foster individual responsibility, human dignity, personal initiative, and self-confidence. We believe that the ultimate objective and expectation of such programs should always be, whenever possible, the financial independence of the individual.
E. We support programs, both public and private, which provide for those unable to care for themselves. These programs should be administered in a humane and compassionate manner and demonstrate a genuine respect for the dignity of each person.
F. We believe that the free market economy of Democratic Capitalism offers the working poor their greatest opportunity for the achievement of economic freedom and the full potential of human dignity.
G. We support the right of every worker to be paid justly and treated honorably in the workplace. We also support the right of every employer to earn a profit. We believe employer/employee relationships should be marked by mutual respect, honesty and decency. We affirm the need for sound business ethics and stand opposed to every form of greed or exploitation either among employers or employees.
H. We believe that economic health; progress and justice can best be achieved by free people in a free economy. We, therefore, oppose undue state regulation of or interference in, the free enterprise economic system.
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