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I want to help our neighborhood. Yet, it has been well documented that some help, done without a long-term vision, can actually do more harm than good. For instance, if a neighbor is regularly strung out on drugs and comes to the church for a routine free meal, then the church may be assisting that person's addiction by feeding them and, thereby, freeing his budget to buy more drugs - keeping him in the cycle of poverty. 

This article, by math teacher Tim Fox, (access full article by clicking --> here <--) talks about a law in Ohio that targets specific poverty-avoiding education toward students in an effort to help them understand the traps that lead to an impoverished life. These steps are not only research-based, they are backed by biblical principles. Although they aid us in understanding how to really help our neighbors, they miss the most important driver of poverty (I will discuss that after the 3rd point from Ohio):

1. Work. Those who have an occupation rarely taste poverty. This means finding meaningful work and keeping that job. In some cases, this comes with a lifestyle adjustment, away from the forces that cause people to miss work (amusement, entertainment, unbalanced values, etc.), and those forces that drive work dissatisfaction (gossip, unhealthy pride, shortsightedness, and an unteachable/uncorrectable spirit).  The Bible is pro-work!

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. (Eph 4:28 ESV)

In all toil there is profit,
    but mere talk tends only to poverty. (Proverbs 14:23 ESV)

2. Education. 

In 2024, the poverty rate of people aged 25 and older who did not complete high school was 23.1%, meaning nearly 1 out of every 4 young adults who did not gain a high school diploma lives in poverty. This rate drops to 12.8% for those who completed high school, and continues to decrease with the more education people receive.

Just like the Bible is pro-work, it is also pro-knowledge. Many of the greatest colleges and universities in the United States began as a Christian educational effort. The classroom is a way to learn diligence toward a task, apply your mind toward a goal, and gain knowledge that you can use to communicate the good news of Jesus to all people in the world - no matter where their education level may lie. 

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. (Matthew 22:37 ESV)

3. Family. 

In 2024, the poverty rate of families with married parents was 4.3%. The poverty rate of single father families was 11%, and for single mothers was 21.8%. This means single mothers are five times more likely to live in poverty than married women and nearly twice as likely as single fathers. If we wish to keep people out of poverty, we must promote God’s proper design (and order) for the family: marriage, then children.

God is pro-family, especially when done right! Find a spouse. Marry. Then have children. Done in that order, the parent and the children are more likely to avoid poverty. I have authority to speak on this one. For most of my childhood, I was raised by a heroic single mom, who navigated three boys through life, nearly all-the-while living under the Federal Poverty line. That brings me to the final point - the one that Ohio has not mandated:

4. God. The Christian faith is an inside-out transformation. It is said that "cleanliness is next to godliness." However, that is not the Christian faith (nor is that phrase in the Bible). Instead, Jesus said that our lives must transform from the inside-out. That inner transformation can only be found in accepting the free gift of salvation, purchased by the gracious sacrifice of Jesus - who bore the penalty for our sin and offers us new life. A fresh start. A do-over that we do not deserve - nor could ever deserve. 

That is what separates Christians from other religions. There are no righteousness-gaining rituals. No manipulation of a deity. You cannot live a good enough life to earn God's favor. No amount of generous acts will get you to heaven. None of that! Peace with God is only found by surrendering to him and accepting his grace upon our lives.

Then, from a new life flows a new heart, with new motives, aligned with a new family - the church. Fellow believers support new believers in both their spiritual journey of discipleship, and care for their needs - especially those that come with poverty. This new family helps each other to overcome the traps and drivers of poverty. Together, we head toward a permanent solution to physical poverty because the stain of spiritual poverty - a priori - has been removed!