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WHEN WE carefully read the Bible, we come across loud calls to care for the poor. God calls on all Christians especially pastors to care for the poor in the church and in the communities.
Caring for the poor is an expression of godly love. Being compassionate towards the poor should be part of the character of every faithful man of God.
During His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus showed compassion to the poor. He fed the hungry. God is a God of compassion towards the fatherless, widows, strangers, the weak and the hungry.
“When he (Jesus) went ashore he saw a great crowd, and HE HAD COMPASSION ON THEM, because they were like sheep without a shepherd…His disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat. But he answered them, “YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT” (Mark 6:34-37).
There are many people both believers and unbelievers who appear harassed and helpless. Most of them are without parents or guardians. Their only hope is in God. God, therefore, expects His servants to remember such people. God wants pastors to feed and clothe them.
This requires that part of the money which comes to the local church be set aside for this ministry. Giving is a ministry in the Christian faith. It formed a great part in the ministry of Jesus.
We know that many pastors have, over the years, been active in this special ministry of charity, providing accommodation, food, clothing and paying school fees and hospital bills of the poor.
End-Time Christ’s Commissioners, a young church I serve as its pastor at Mamponteng, Kumasi, also in its own small way periodically supports people in need.
Helping people in need is not only good but also a beautiful and satisfying ministry. It is biblically designed to alleviate the plight of the poor. That was exactly what Jesus did.
Paul, the apostle, imitated Christ’s example. Giving to the poor was something Paul desired to do at the start of his ministry. He had this in mind even before the apostles James, Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars of the faith in Jerusalem, accepted him as an apostle and called his attention to it.
“Only, they (the three apostles) asked us to REMEMBER THE POOR, the very thing I was eager to do” (Galatians 2:10, emphasis mine).
If Christ and the foundational apostles were committed to caring for the poor, should we not also follow their example and receive the blessings of God?
James 1:27 states that, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to VISIT ORPHANS AND WIDOWS IN THEIR AFFLICTION, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
We should be careful not to be influenced by economic principles which many church leaders teach people to save only for the future. Yes, we should save for the future but we must also obey the Word of God to give to the poor.
Many people are poor not because they are lazy or foolish but because of many inescapable tragic circumstances they find themselves in. And we must show compassion and help them just as God had compassion on us and gave Christ to die for our salvation.
By James Quansah
James Quansah is the Executive Director of Christ-Conscious Leadership Centre (CLC) and lead Pastor of End-Time Christ’s Commissioners (ECC), Kumasi, Ghana. James is also a journalist by profession. He is married with four children.
