REMEMBER THE POOR – Galatians 2:10
All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
Paul had been sent to preach the gospel message to the Gentiles in the countries surrounding Israel. Many, if not most, of Paul's converts were, if not wealthy, at least quite comfortable financially. The Christians in Jerusalem, however, were not so well off. In fact, they had come upon hard times due to a famine. Knowing this, Paul was constant in his seeking of donations of funds that he sent to the church leaders in Jerusalem to be distributed to those in need. Paul was eager to help the poor, to see that no one went without food or clothing or shelter.
Are our churches so generous today? Are Christians as willing today to make sure others have food, clothing, shelter, transportation? If so, why do we have so many people who are homeless? In the U.S., approximately 78% of the people call themselves "Christian". If each one of these people had a heart like Paul, not one person in the United States would be homeless… not one child would go hungry… not one person would have to wear rags.
If that were accomplished, that same spirit of giving could spread from every person in this country to all the countries in the world where poverty is the norm, where many of those who are considered poor in this country would be considered rich.
If you live in the U.S. and want a wake-up call, talk to someone who lives in one of the poorer countries in Africa… countries where children die by the thousands from malaria – a disease that could be cured with one of the least expensive drugs in existence – quinine… where having a bed and blanket of your own is a luxury… or where you’re considered “well off” if you have your own bathroom and a real floor in your one-room apartment rather than dirt… and where you never know from day to day whether you’ll have electricity or whether violence will break out nearby, making it dangerous for you to even go to the grocery store or to work!
Unfortunately, most of us consider giving like this: We clean out our closets and take all the things we wouldn't be caught dead in to mission efforts or the Salvation Army. We buy some groceries – a whole load of things we wouldn't think of putting on our own tables – and give them to the food pantry. We make sure our own children have the best clothing, the best toys, the nicest houses, the newest cars, and – if it doesn't get in the way of our budget – throw a few dollars into the pot for those less fortunate than ourselves. Think about this… how much would it help someone else if you gave up HBO and gave what you're paying the cable company to a mission every month? That's just one thing. There are thousands of other things that you and I can and should do to help those in need, and not just financially. How about volunteering to teach an adult literacy class? Could it be that your efforts might result in one person moving from poverty to prosperity simply by learning to read?
Jesus said that the poor would always be with us, and He didn't lie. How much are you doing to make sure that the poor have what they need – both financially and through giving of your time and effort? How often do you remember the poor?
"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40
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