What Does the Bible Say About Poverty?
What does the Bible say about faith in the context of giving? About God’s heart for the poor?
The Bible is rich in wisdom about God’s love for people living in poverty — and about our responsibility to help. We love the way Jesus showed us how to care for vulnerable and marginalized people. Reflect on these Bible verses about giving and pray for children, families, and communities in need. Here’s what the Bible says about poverty.
“Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.”
Deuteronomy 15:10 (NIV)
“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”
Proverbs 19:17 (NIV)
“The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.”
Proverbs 22:9 (NIV)
“And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”
Isaiah 58:10 (NIV)
“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Luke 14:13–14 (NIV)
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
2 Corinthians 9:6–7 (NIV)
In reflecting on what the Bible says about faith, let these Scriptures on giving guide our actions and hearts toward compassion and generosity.
Note after sharing the devotional: the day before this devotional popped into my Bible app, God gave me an opportunity to somewhat-minister to someone in this way, as well as to give me some perspective about my current situation. I picked up my wife’s car yesterday from the body shop (it was involved in a collision in December and now finally got fixed) and took it to our regular mechanic for a look-over just to make sure there weren’t any other issues, related or not to the collision. When my Uber driver first picked me up to take me to the body shop, his first comment was about how nice the area we lived in was (we’re in Glendale Heights, one of the relatively newer suburbs in Chicagoland’s west suburbs region). I asked him where he lived. He commented that he lived in Hanover Park, going on to say that the comment he often received from riders when they heard where he lived was, “Oh, I'm sorry.” I guess Hanover Park is not a great place to live... (?) But I wouldn’t know unless I did some research. During the short ride to the body shop, I got a sense that this driver really has had it rough in life, and he was down about it. (I also got the sense that probably made a bunch of bad decisions in his life as well that may or may not have contributed to that.)
Growing up liberal, I was very aware of the importance of helping the poor. But now as a conservative, I have a bit of a different tack on it than I would have had, say, a decade or so ago. The understanding I’ve gained over the years is about how liberals tend to push the narrative regarding helping the poor a certain way, to the point that conservatives naturally bristle at it. I suspect this is because, while the Bible says we must help them, liberals tend to also act as if they think they can dictate correctly who the poor really is vs who they’re not (and truly, they can’t), whereas conservatives have their own preferred methods (and struggling individuals) to help. Below are a couple examples that come to mind:
I remember sometime in my first few years into the adult world (I think after I moved back to Chicago), my former housemate came to visit. At the time, he was the most conservative person I knew. We were downtown (I forget now what we were doing there) and had grabbed lunch at a restaurant. There was a panhandler who was going around begging for money. I think he was really trying to get my former housemate to help him out, but he didn’t budge. Finally, I gave the panhandler a couple bucks, which he gladly received and went on his way. A little while later, my former housemate gave me five bucks for my trouble.
In my second example, someone else I know of a similar mindset doesn’t help panhandlers, but she has faithfully given canned food to a few folks she knows -- families (including single moms of like 6 or so kids) who are working (sometimes multiple jobs) but struggling to put food on the table.
In both the above examples, the issue regarding helping the poor (or not) is not a case where, if one doesn’t help one individual poor or struggling person, somehow they refuse to help anyone who is struggling. This is a case where discernment is involved, including the following questions:
1.) For the person that is struggling, for what reason(s) are they really asking for help? Are they seeking help to pay the bills, or are they seeking money to go buy alcohol and / or drugs?
2.) For the person that is struggling, what is their part in this? What are they doing to try to put themselves in a position / on a path to a better life? Are they working? Are they saving? Are they cutting out bad habits and bad influences (or at least, trying to)? Are they adopting new and good habits and / or good influences?
In defense of other conservatives’ refusal to help those who are struggling but refuse to make changes in their lives, refusing to help such people does not equate to refusing to help the poor at all. After all, God knows everyone’s hearts (including those of the givers or those in a position to give), and ultimately He is the One Who provides.
One last comment from the one Uber driver who lives in Hanover Park, I decided to give him the highest Uber-recommended tip value, not to boast in myself, but rather to recognize that I see the guy is trying to earn a living. He drives for Uber. It’s not an ideal living, but it’s something. He may have made a series of bad decisions in his life, and he may be a complainer (I got a sense of that as well, considering he mentioned that nobody ever tips him (and that only came up because I commented ahead of time that I was going to tip him)). However, there comes a point where it is not for me (or any other human) to judge at which point his complaints stop being legitimate and start being self-indulgent. He’s not happy with his life, but at least he showed me he’s trying to do something. And God used him to remind me of my position as well. I've been guilty of complaining about this and that throughout much of my life. I still maintain that some of it is legitimate. But I also know that I've crossed that same line, too.
After I dropped off the car at our regular mechanic’s shop, I took another Uber ride back home, a much longer ride than the first. I made sure also to tip that guy well.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to follow You to the edges of society, where people are lonely, suffering, and in great need. Let us give freely with appreciation for all You’ve given to us at no charge. In Your name, Amen.
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