Are There Societal Or Personal Barriers To Cultivating Expressions Of Compassion Towards The Poor, And If So What Are They? - John Hasler
When it comes to compassion towards the poor, there are many things that seem to get in the way. There is of course the normal laundry list of excuses like, not having enough time, not knowing where to begin, seeing the problem as too large to fix, and on and on it goes. But are there some deeper underlying reasons behind these excuses? I believe so. In order to keep the scope of this fairly narrow, I want to primarily focus on the action (or inaction) of Christians.
One of the first things to investigate is impetus or core motivation for action. This is the 'why should I care?' issue, which leads us to the first barrier; that of calling. Often when it comes to service to the poor, individuals claim that they do not feel called to serve the poor, and while I believe there are indeed certain people called to a higher and deeper level of care and attention to specific kinds of needs, all followers of Jesus are already called to some degree. There is a clear mandate in the whole of Scripture to show concern for the poor. If one looks at a broad picture of Jesus' life, it can be clearly seen that he demonstrated great care for the poor and downtrodden. Followers and disciples are then to do the same.
If then, there is a calling on all believers, what is it that gets in the way from the church really rising up to make headway against poverty and injustice? Where are the other barriers? There are some answers in Scripture that talk about the battle Christians will face when it comes to obedience in any area of life, including a life of service to the poor. There are greater spiritual reasons behind this, like what Paul talks about in Ephesians 6:12-
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."
There are also more personal, inner, battles with sin and the desires of the flesh, as the New Testament writers refer to it, which are constantly warring against the leading of the Holy Spirit. Paul again, talks about this struggle very acutely in Romans 7:14-25. Specifically in verses 18 and 19, he discusses the tension-
"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.*"
In a greater discussion about the law, he unveils the difficulty individuals have in doing what they know is right. I think that this is one of the best examples of the barrier that is created in the spirit when it comes to serving the poor. It is the surrender to the flesh that allows for pride and greed to settle in and take root. And it is out of those two embedded attributes that Christians begin to create superficial excuses for inaction. The most difficult part is the fact that most believers will indeed profess with their mouths the willingness and desire to help, however, when it comes to the reprioritization of time and money, many of these great aspirations are grounded and snuffed out.
There is hope in breaking down these barriers though. In the cultivation of humility and deeper Holy Spirit driven character development, Christians can overcome the battles in the spirit and begin to see and react to the poor around them. Humility and discipline can overturn pride and greed. In Galatians 5:16-17, Paul encourages the people to follow the Spirit instead of the flesh-
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.*"
This is not just a onetime event. It is an attitude and practice of the heart that needs to be nurtured and continually revisited. There is a level of perseverance that is generated. In 2 Thessalonians 3:13, as an encouragement to the church there, it says-
"As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.*"
What would the world look like if the church today took that same encouragement and lived it out?
*All Scripture references are ESV