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The Poor
January 12, 2013

The ongoing financial crisis has caused many financial difficulties and it seems like more and more are becoming the poor. During the optimism of the start of a new year, it is normal to overlook these unfortunate people, especially when there are those who believe in something often referred to as the Prosperity Gospel, that God's blessings include financial blessings, and that if you are not living a premium lifestyle, there must be a problem with your spirituality. I do not subscribe to the idea of the Prosperity Gospel. There are a myriad of reasons why a person of devote faith may be down and out financially. I suppose in the end, terms like rich and poor are relative terms, those with more money may consider themselves to be rich, while those with less money may consider themselves to be poor. I think this is one of the reasons why wealth can be something that can always be chased and yet never attained. There will always be those with more or less money than I and I need to respect the accomplishments of others without being envious. Money, like the other material objects I possess, can be used for good or for evil. With this idea, money becomes a tool, something that I can use to overcome evil by doing good.

Proverbs 23:5
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

If in our mind we consider ourselves to not be rich, we can pursue wealth and riches and never attain what we seek. Like the proverb shows, we can pursue wealth into areas where we will lose. With this mindset, riches will escape us, because we have allowed money to become a god instead of being a financial tool we can use. When we turn money into a god, the money drives our faith and our faith becomes a tool of the money. Everything becomes backwards and upside down. If I want to use money as a tool to overcome evil by doing good, there are a few things I have to do. One of these is to understand what it means to be poor. If I was to allow myself to look down on the poor as somehow having sinned or not being quite right with God while I consider myself to be rich, I will overlook what it means to be poor as much as I will overlook what it means to be a person of faith.

Proverbs 27:9
The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.

There are numerous reasons why a person may be poor, and the poor are not without basic human needs. What the Book of Proverbs shows is that those who are wicked do not consider these. This is why it is important for me to consider the cause of the poor. Doing this does not mean I have to be a modern political liberal. Political ideologies revolve around reasons for taxation rather than faith. I prefer to give the government less so I can directly impact somebody I know. How we impact those in need does not always require the expenditure of money. Sometimes we just need to use our time and resources we already have in abundance.

Matthew 25:31-45
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

The poor live within a unique set of circumstances and have basic human needs to be met. How we meet these needs will be used to determine how we will be judged, and as we are able to help those in need, we celebrate what is good, embrace what is good, and do what is good.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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