KevinMattison (dot) Com

This post is part of Blog Action Day 08 – Poverty

Our lack of care for the poor, as followers of Christ, is more than just something we need to work or, but it is a sign of our spiritual apathy, and our sin (as a church). When the church (you and me) deprive others (the poor) the goods and services which others around us take for granted, it is a sign that we are not living the kind of life God’s word calls us to…According to Wikipedia-”Poverty is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life, including food, clothing, shelter and safe drinking water, and may also include the deprivation of opportunities to learn, to obtain better employment to escape poverty, and/or to enjoy the respect of fellow citizens. According to Mollie Orshansky who developed the poverty measurements used by the U.S. government, “to be poor is to be deprived of those goods and services and pleasures which others around us take for granted.”

How do we begin to do move from this spiritual apathy?

1. Be Content
Philippians 4:11-12
I’m not saying this because I’m in any need. I’ve learned to be content in whatever situation I’m in. I know how to live in poverty or prosperity. No matter what the situation, I’ve learned the secret of how to live when I’m full or when I’m hungry, when I have too much or when I have too little.

2.  Act on the Need
James 2:14-18
My brothers and sisters, what good does it do if someone claims to have faith but doesn’t do any good things? Can this kind of faith save him? Suppose a believer, whether a man or a woman needs clothes or food and one of you tells that person, “God be with you! Stay warm, and make sure you eat enough.” If you don’t provide for that person’s physical needs, what good does it do? In the same way, faith by itself is dead if it doesn’t cause you to do any good things. Another person might say, “You have faith, but I do good things.” Show me your faith apart from the good things you do. I will show you my faith by the good things I do.

According to the World Bank, the cost of meeting all of the millennium development goals would be $40-60 billion per year. It is said that the cost of educating every child to at least a primary school level would be about $10 billion… By the way, US consumers spent $15.4 billion on pet food in 2006 and about $9 billion on breakfast cereal.

Live on less, Give more!

What Am I going to do this year (08-09) to make a difference?

1. Junky Car Club
2. The One Campaign
3. World Vision
4. Nothing But Nets