The description of the conditions that qualify as living a poor lifestyle vary among people who have experienced different levels of income. Imagine a homeless man, forced to live on the street because he can’t afford the rent that his landlord demands. In this man’s opinion, someone who lives in public housing with government assistance is relatively fortunate. However, based on the average american standard, government assisted living is regarded as an extreme financial disadvantage. Most Christians believe this impoverishment is “the result of individual failings” or blame an individuals “lack of effort” as the cause of their poverty (Singh 1).
A survey conducted by the Kaiser Foundation concluded that almost half of all Christians agreed that laziness is the foremost reason an individual will become unable to meet their basic needs. As the modern economy rises it drags with it greater income disparities between the wealthy and impoverished. Although some theologists believe that living in poverty is favorable for a Christian, it is obvious that poverty negatively affects the human spirit and needs to be addressed.
Poverty goes beyond the inability to purchase luxurious items or buy a surplus of food. Poverty frequently correlates with a lack of hope. Thinking like a Christian, poverty is an emptiness. Peter Greer with Hope International wrote a book, called For the Least of These, in which he recounts the responses he received from the poor in Rwanda about how poverty feels firsthand. Commonalities included not knowing specific abilities and strengths due to lack of application, not being able to progress away from poverty, isolation, no belief that anything can be done to better the situation, fractured relationships caused by focus on or stress of poverty.
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In other words, poverty caused these Rwandan individuals to distance themselves from God; an extremely negative impact of poverty. With this in mind it is crucial that Christians understand that there are different causes for poverty. Some people are poor simply because they are lazy and cannot bring themselves to put forth effort in their lives. Others have their poverty handed to them by “violence, corruption, high taxes, and [extreme] government regulations.” There are certain instances in which Christian charity is highly valued. Instances, referring to the widowed, orphaned, disabled, and elderly; people whose contribution to their livelihood is limited. In Christianity it is a “privilege [to help] heal the breach between the rich and poor.”(Forster 4) Thus it is a given that all ‘good’ Christians contribute to the eradication of poverty, as it follows their moral principles and is their God given right.
Each person that God creates he gives gifts and talents to, and each of these people need to be free to use them to prosper in their lives. When a person’s ability to do that is hindered, it causes eminent issues. The ability to participate in the workforce is critical, not just as a means of generating wealth, but also as an window for an individual to contribute to their society. This being said, those in poverty have the ability to positively influence their society, if Christians just put in the effort to coach them out of poverty. When considering all the elements, “poverty is [simply] a lack of options.” (Singh 2)
Similar to the varying causes of poverty there are also a few different ways to go about responding to it. Common characteristics of poverty include the lack of food, clothing and/or shelter. Luckily enough, there are three ways to address these issues: relief, rehabilitation, and development. Relief encompasses all forms of immediate aid. Rehabilitation includes helping those affected return to their previous living conditions. And the final method, development, involves working with the victims to grow beyond their previous circumstances, thus “recognizing the full potential of their gifts and abilities.” (Singh 3) The majority of the time Christians utilize the first method of helping those in need, and while it does provide quick relief, it is not a reliable long-term solution.
People receiving assistance will generally become dependent on the help and will be unable to support themselves. Instead, “assisting with job skills, tutoring, or after school child care works alongside people so that…instead of remaining in a place where they need handouts, they can build a ladder to climb out of poverty.” (Singh 3) It is a well known fact that money is central to how a person goes about living life, furthermore, it is morally correct for Christians to use their “possessions to glorify God and serve human needs.” (Forster 3)
Ancient societies found reason to believe that people who worked to make a living were morally inferior because it left them with no time to improve themselves through religious and cultural activities. These activities most likely focused on the journey to the city of God, which is the ultimate goal. St. Augustine, a Christian theologian, believed that “the world and its goods may be used for the journey, but if they are enjoyed, they direct the traveler away from God.” (“Christianity” 133) This idea incorporates into Christian theology the major vices of greed and pride, the major virtues of humility and charity, “and poverty is endorsed as the favored status for the Christian life.” (“Christianity” 133)
The absence of wealth, leaves an individual ‘empty’ of worldly things that shouldn’t matter to them in the long run, thus leaving more room for said person to embrace to holy spirit and truly focus their lives on God. In his presidential inaugural speech, George H. W. Bush, asserted that “we must hope to give [our children] a sense of what it means to be a loyal friend; a loving parent; a citizen who leaves his home, his neighborhood, and town better than he found it.” (Bush 2) Former President bush highlights how, without money acting as an end-all-be-all, parents are able to pass onto their children valuable lessons that allow them to positively contribute to their society. In addition, the Bible mentions how “‘contentment’ with your economic position…distinguishes true believers from false teachers.” (Forster 2) Furthermore, efforts to eradicate poverty can be negative because when impoverished people are “inundated with free lunches, free clothing, free construction, and other needs…industry suffers, the free market is disrupted, and enterprise becomes unnecessary.” (Singh 3)
While it is understandable that poverty is an ideal state in which to prosper as a Christian, helping the impoverished to utilize their talents and recognize their opportunities is a more advanced biblical perspective. In the study completed on the Rwandans, not one thing on their list of how poverty feels detailed not having enough money or food. It is true that some method of poverty reduction are, in the long run, not beneficial, however since those in poverty are led to believe that money and material things are most important in today’s society, this inequality creates arrogance and resentment. The pros of abolishing poverty in terms of Christianity, noticeably outway the cons of allowing to it to continue under the precedence that it is beneficial.
It is very important for the further development of society and the economy that Christians help out in the quest to rid the world of poverty despite the fact that an impoverished Christian lives a more God focused life. It is becoming crucial that the “rich and poor have equal human dignity and should live in love, harmony, and equal citizenship.” (Forster 2) In order for growth to fully be achieved the wealthy must be humble and the poor must be content because arrogance and envy are both condemned.
