A Godless Society won't take care of the Poor!

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, (Matthew 25:35 NIV)

It's up to me!

If this verse doesn't hit you square in the eyes, nothing will. It is clear we are called to serve those in poverty who can't take care of themselves. We are to provide the necessities of life. But, isn't it strange it doesn't say anything about giving our money. I know a lot of people who will pay for a meal, provide a warm room, or fuel for a car, but won't give money! I am included in that. I also don't want my government to redistribute my income. It doesn't help to give it away. My friends on the left will claim us conservatives aren't practicing real Christian service. Yet, I contend just giving is not enough. We need to go beyond giving handouts that are fleeting at best. We need to provide real ways to escape poverty, real jobs, real opportunities. Our giving needs to be practical. We need to give, mostly through private groups like churches, because they do the best job at getting people real help. The government can only efficiently provide a stopgap contribution. It's short term. Unfortunately our welfare state has trained many able bodied Americans to live off handouts, long term. We need to fix the system.

Yes, it's truly up to me to provide service and support for those who need it. I will do that in the best way I know how. But, I do not need to be forced, I will do it out of love and charity, not any other reason. I will also hold my country accountable to long term fixes for the poor. I will make sure that we will provide steps out of poverty, not by stealing from others, but creating opportunity to improve themselves.

Lord , help us to recognize our need to serve. Help our country to focus on giving freely and developing a relationship with Jesus. Those two things are inexplicably intertwined. You can't force either and expect giving to be at a rate which is greatly needed around the world. True Christian Charity is the only long term solution to the worlds war on poverty. A Godless society will not give!

I don't like Robin Hood!

2 Corinthians 8

 ⁸ I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
 ¹⁰ And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. ¹¹ Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. ¹² For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.





Robin Hood had it all wrong. Well, at least, he's misunderstood. It's totally against our society to force the rich to give to the poor. (I am by no means rich. Although I am probably considered in the Upper end of the middle class, I'm not rich!)  If the rich get richer illegally or corruptly, we should take it from them, just like Robin Hood. But, the largest portion of our RICH people achieved it through their own hard work or the hard work of their family. They or their families have pursued the wealth and have achieved it. Should they share it? Yes, definitely!


So how do we get a "Rich" person to share the wealth.  That's where 2 Corinthians 8 comes in to view.  The key to giving is attitude. Willingness, eager willingness are the key to living a christian life. God certainly expects you to share your blessings. He WANTS you to give abundantly. But, he doesn't want to force you. He wants you to be eager to give. He wants you to be joyous about giving the gift. If a gift is given unwillingly, it's not really a gift. In order for America to continue to be the land of opportunity, we can't force people to share their wealth. Americans must become EAGERLY WILLING to give. We shouldn't be trying to legislate giving. We shouldn't try to penalize success and hard work. We need to work on changing the hearts of the giver.  We need to change the hearts of men so they can not give enough. The greatest way to change someones heart is through the saving grace of Jesus Christ. If we want a society that shares the wealth, Christ must be at the center.