Focus: The Poor Among Us

Texts: Gal.2:10

"We should remember the poor."

Poverty is a big issue in the world today, and it has always been. A very minute minority of the world's population controls the immense wealth of the world. The majority lives in abject poverty. People struggle daily to making ends meet, and they even barely or hardly make it. A lot of people are constantly in a state of need - helpless and hopeless.

Poverty is also a relative term. We are not equally rich as we are not equally poor. Poverty is in levels as well as wealth.

We have different kinds of poverty:

*Material poverty

*Spiritual poverty

*Moral poverty

*Mental poverty

*Emotional poverty

And there could be more.

For the morally bankrupt, poverty is a problem of which wealth is not the solution. Wealth in the hands of the morally bankrupt is a big problem. Evil then becomes rife in the land and vice gains undue power.

But here in our text, we are concerned with the materially poor - those who do not have and who are daily in need of help. The Church in Jerusalem was asking that we remember the poor.

We should not only take notice of them, but also do our best to assist them. Paul exhorts, "Let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth" - Eph.4:28. This scripture gives us the purpose of working. We work to give to those in need, not just for us to eat.

Solomon says, "The righteous considereth the cause of the poor" - Prov.29:7. Jesus says, "Blessed be ye poor" - Lk.6:20. So when you give to the poor you tap into the blessing of God.

The psalmist says, "Thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor" - Ps.68:10.

Let's take notice of the poor and care for them. The truth is that we are all poor helping each other at different times. If you are not in need today, you may be in need tomorrow. So when it's in your power to help, do it heartily and faithfully.

Except you are poor by choice, poverty is a human condition, and no human condition is permanent. Those at the end of the tether today may be at the top of the ladder tomorrow. We all need help, if not now, then later. Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter