A Biblical View on Poverty Part 2
What Part Do Christians Play?
So, what does it mean for Christians to be part of the solution to the eradication of poverty? Understanding the roots of poverty and realizing that poverty is a complex issue is the beginning of transforming our attitudes and actions towards the poor to alleviate suffering. If you haven’t read part one of this blog series, you may want to do that before reading further.
If we go back to Deuteronomy 15:11, Moses continues teaching the people of God about God’s heart for the people. “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.”
All disciples of Christ should be involved in poverty alleviation, but we must do it sustainably. Just throwing money at the situation does not create sustainable outcomes that will last for generations. We are not helping for the sake of helping. Our hearts should be focused on making a lasting difference over the long term.
Breaking the Habit of Old Ways
When we do things to help the poor so that we feel better, it continues to perpetuate systems that keep the poor, poor. Taking a trip to an impoverished country to do work that people who already live in the community can do is demeaning and disempowering. Sustainable transformational development work is not about us feeling good. Sustainable transformational development work is about empowering people to do for themselves. It encourages them to have a say, to speak up and be part of the solutions, and then to be actively involved in the changes and development process.
Making Way for New Ways
This is why World Hope International works with communities towards sustainable development. We empower people to care for themselves. Our commitment is to partner with the poor and hear their stories. We listen to find out their strengths, to encourage them to use their voices, to ask what they need, and to help them find resources and ways to access these things.
In doing this, we empower the poor to be an active part of their own transformational journey. Vulnerable communities sometimes lack the funds and knowledge to make transformation happen on their own. However, through partnerships, they are empowered to lift themselves out of poverty for generations.
When asked about the greatest commandment – Jesus replied:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength, The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.
Story of Success
At World Hope International, we have seen the difference it makes when communities are empowered to speak up and be a part of sustainable transformational development. The village of Kenenday in Sierra Leone is thriving thanks to a village partnership. Cornerstone Wesleyan Church in Nova Scotia took the Great Commission seriously. They stepped out in faith and chose to go to the far regions in the name of Jesus, and committed to a multi-year partnership.
The team at World Hope International Sierra Leone and Canada joined with the church and the village to see what the needs were. The village leaders knew there were some key items missing in their village that would be transformative. Through this partnership, the village is thriving and teaching others how to initiate transformation.
Thanks to this partnership, they have access to clean, safe water and a village water committee who cares for the well, teaching hygiene and sanitation practices. The JESUS film was shown, and many people came to a saving faith in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. They have been given seed to harvest rice, and education in saving seed for the next planting. Recently, a drying floor to protect and dry the seed for food and planting was installed.
Education and Transformation
The older children have a school nearby. Teenage pregnancies have ceased because girls are no longer being attacked on the long trek to school. School teachers and children are getting education. A young man who was a beneficiary of the Child Sponsorship program expressed interest in attending Bible College and is now the village pastor, thanks to the church committing to funding his pastoral education. Children from neighbouring communities have been gifted bicycles so they can safely attend school in Kennenday.
This village has experienced transformation thanks to the generosity of a church 6,500 km away who said yes to the call of Jesus to go into all the world. When Christians take The Great Commission seriously, we partner in the name and way of Jesus to take His light into the darkness and it changes everything.
Through partnership, we can all be a part of the solution to eradicate poverty. If every person does what they can, together we will see sustainable transformational development happen in more and more communities, making a lasting impact for generations to come.
In partnering with World Hope International, you increase our capacity to provide those in need with opportunity, dignity, and hope in some of the most vulnerable communities in the world. When you give to The Hope Fund, you help strengthen programs through World Hope’s 3 pillars of Clean Water and Energy, Global Health, and Protection and Education.
To learn more about sustainable transformational development we recommend reading Walking with the Poor by Bryant L. Myers.
