Money and Wealth (Part 16) – Giving (Part B) – Giving to the Poor

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Money and Wealth (Part 16) – Giving (Part B) – Giving to the Poor

Giving to the poor

1. One of the reasons that we should work is to have money to give to those in need (Eph 4:28).
2. The purpose of working and earning income is not just to provide for your own (and your immediate family’s) needs.
3. We should remember the poor (Gal 2:10).
4. We are blessed when we help the poor (Pro 14:21, 31; Pro 22:9).
5. We are cursed when we see the plight of the poor and could help but don’t (Pro 21:13; Pro 29:7).
6. If God has blessed you with much, but you don’t help the poor when you should, you are not in good company (Eze 16:49).
7. Helping people financially should be limited to supplying their needs, not lusts (Rom 12:13; Jam 2:15-16).
8. The love of God is not in us if we will not give to someone in genuine need (1Jo 3:17).
9. When brethren in the church are in need due to no fault of their own, those that have been blessed with abundance should supply for their need (2Co 8:13-15).
10. Rich men should be ready and willing to give to people who are in need (1Ti 6:17-18).
11. This should be done voluntarily, not through compulsion by government.
    1. When the government gives to the poor, they do so by forcing one person to hand over their wealth to another person.
       1. When the government provides help to those in need, it does so very inefficiently.
       2. Government aid also reduces the incentive for individuals to help the poor because they assume that they are already doing so through their taxes.
    2. The best thing the government can do to help the poor is to not help them and instead let society help them.
       • The government can do so by ceasing to tax and regulate businesses which will enable them to hire more people and increase wages which will do much to help the poor.
       • The government can also help the poor by not running up deficits and printing money which devalues the money and increases the costs of everything.
12. Charity should begin close to home (Deut 15:7-11).
    1. When charity begins close to home, the money will more likely be given only to those who can’t work, not to those who won’t work (2Th 3:10).
       • Money will also likely not be given to people who are wasteful (Pro 18:9; Pro 12:27) and foolish with money (Pro 21:20).
       • This will cause those who can provide for themselves to repent of their foolishness and amend their ways.
    2. When charity is kept close to home, a wise man can give with discretion because he has personal knowledge of the need (Psa 112:5).
       • This will help to greatly reduce fraud.
       • This will also help to ensure that charitable giving is a means to an end for the poor, not the end itself.
13. A righteous person shows mercy toward the needy and gives to them (Psa 37:21).
    1. A virtuous woman helps the poor (Pro 31:20).
    2. We should not withhold help from those who need it when we are able to do it (Pro 3:27).
    3. The wicked lazy man covets all day long, but a righteous man gives liberally (Pro 21:25-26).
    4. When we give to the poor we are lending unto God, and He will repay us and bless us for it (Pro 19:17; Pro 22:9; Mat 25:34-40).
    5. If we give unto the poor, the LORD will make sure that we don’t lack (Pro 28:27).
    6. As we have opportunity, we should do good unto all men, but especially to our brethren (Gal 6:10).
14. We will never be able to end poverty entirely (Mat 26:11), but we can help to alleviate it in the lives of those with whom we are in contact within our families and communities.
    1. But we must do so by “teaching people how to fish” not just “giving them fish,” when possible.
    2. In other words, we should try to genuinely help those who are in need.
    3. That means giving to those who cannot provide for themselves and encouraging and teaching those who can provide for themselves to do so.
15. When to give and when not to give
    1. While a good man will give or lend unto the poor, he should also do so with discretion (Psa 112:5).
    2. Sometimes giving people money who are in need is more harmful than helpful.
    3. Here are my personal recommendations.
    4. If someone is poor due to no fault of his own, then we should give liberally to him. This would include situations such as the following:
       • Serious illness that requires costly medical treatment or prevents him from working.
       • An accident that disables him or causes large medical bills.
       • Loss of a job for a prolonged period due to no fault of his own.
       • A natural disaster.
    5. If someone is in financial trouble due to foolish choices and living beyond his means, then we should either not help him and let him suffer the consequences of his actions, or we should help him only under certain conditions.
       • No job
         1. If the person doesn’t have a job and has no family to help him, then help should be given for a limited, predefined amount of time.
         2. If a job is not found in that amount of time, then the aid needs to be cut off.
         3. If a job (any job) is offered to him and he refuses it, then the aid needs to be cut off.
       • Has a job
         1. If the person has a job, then help should only be given contingent on him balancing his budget.
         2. No money should be given to such a man until he provides a complete accounting of his income and all of his expenses.
         3. If he doesn’t like that idea and thinks you are being too intrusive, then tell him to ask someone else for help.
         4. If his expenses exceed his income, then enough money should then be given to him to enable him to pay his bills for the current month.
         5. If his expenses do not exceed his income, then he either doesn’t need help, or he has not listed all of his expenses, and therefore he must do so.
         6. We should then go through his list of expenses and start cutting everything that is not absolutely necessary, and reducing those things that can be reduced.
         7. This could be cell phones, cable TV, subscriptions, memberships, going out to eat, entertainment, buying junk on Amazon, hobbies, pets and related expenses, grocery expenses, car payments, rental or house payments, etc.
         8. If the man cuts everything that can be cut and he still doesn’t have enough to make ends meet, then he must look for a higher paying job, or for an additional job.
         9. If he is unwilling to make the cuts, then the aid should be cut off.
       • Helping a man in this way is truly helping him.
       • Helping him indiscriminately is not truly helping him, but is harming him.
    6. Dave Ramsey’s advice on helping others financially.
       • “First, I tell people to stop giving these needy friends and relatives an endless stream of money! If they don’t change the behaviors that keep getting them into trouble, every dollar you give them in the name of “helping” actually hurts them, because it just enables their bad behavior.
       • “Second, I tell people not to be scared to put conditions on a financial gift. You could give them money only if they agree to go through Financial Peace University. You could give them a copy of this book or another one of my books, The Total Money Makeover, and “pay” them to write you a book report. You could require that they submit three monthly budgets to you as you continue to help them through a transitional time. If they accuse you of butting in, just remind them that they are ASKING you to butt in by giving them money. If they want your help, they need to take all of your help, not just your money.
       • “Third, I remind people that they can only help others if they have the cash on hand themselves. Never cosign a loan to “help” someone else, and never loan money to a friend or relative. That just keeps them in debt longer, strains the relationship, and keeps the cycle of destruction going.” (Dave Ramsey, Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money, p. 47)
       • “Second, remember that you can’t answer a question that hasn’t been asked. If someone you love is goofing up with their money, don’t barge into their business! Instead, you need to get them to ask for your help. That puts them in a position to actually listen to and receive your advice. Until they want your help, they’ll just see you as intruding into their lives, and you’ll risk losing the relationship.” (Ibid, p. 48)