Hi Mo

Thank you for your comment at Provoketive Magazine (http://provoketive.com). We’re creating a space of rich conversation about life, faith, justice and culture without judgment. Our desire is to provoke the reader’s imagination through conversation and open up spaces of dialogue, learning, and hope.  We want to invite you to come back soon and continue to participate in the conversation. 

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Jonathan Brink
Provoketive Magazine

You posted the following comment:
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While I see your points about helping the widowed, the orphans, and those who cannot take care of themselves, the Bible also tells us that if we do not work, we do not eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10) This instruction was given to people who were spending more time running their mouths off and fiddling around instead of working hard to earn a living. 

Sadly, in this country, I've seen far too many poor and low income kids walking around with expensive gadgets they can't really afford, or spending money of things they really don't need, and then they turn around and complain that they don't have enough money. We need to seriously reevaluate what a true necessity is, and then find ways to provide those things to people who actually need help, rather than wasting time and resources "helping" people in ways that aren't actually very helpful. Perhaps what they really need is someone who can help them set up a budget, or someone who can give them a bit of low-cost or no-cost childcare. "Helping" doesn't always mean throwing money at the problem, like that's going to make it go away. 

Jesus himself said "The poor will always be with us." Poor people end up where they are for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, it's sheer bad luck, like a middle-aged man who gets laid off and can't find a new job, or a woman whose husband dies unexpectedly and leaves her with his debts and less income. But other times, it's actually due to laziness, bad attitude, or a feeling of entitlement. We absolutely should be helping meet the needs of others, but always with wisdom and discernment.