Today’s Quiet Time passage brought this question to my mind. James (and I believe the Lord) had a special place in his heart for the impoverished. Because they have so little that ties them to this world, they are so much more apt to grasp onto the Kingdom of God, and the truth of the promise of hope far more than anything else in this world. God’s heart is for those people because they are the ones who are most dependent on Him.
James 2:5-7 [AMP] Listen, my beloved brethren: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and in their position as believers and to inherit the kingdom which He has promised to those who love Him? But you [in contrast] have insulted (humiliated, dishonored, and shown your contempt for) the poor. Is it not the rich who domineer over you? Is it not they who drag you into the law courts? Is it not they who slander and blaspheme that precious name by which you are distinguished and called [the name of Christ invoked in baptism]?
I feel so convicted by this passage. What’s running through my mind is all the times that I’ve overlooked the poor. It’s not that I don’t care for them, it’s that they’re invisible to me. This is not something I am proud of; rather something I am shameful of. Am I one of these people James is taking to task? I definitely don’t feel that I treat “rich people“ differently than anyone else. However, I am not looking for the poor, and that is what I am convicted about.
As my title of this post suggests, maybe I’m supposed to be praying that I’m more like them. The love and adoration God has, for the poor, is wonderful. it begs the question, should we be praying to be poor? If I have less tying me to this world, then I am more apt to lean on God for everything that I need. My sole focus becomes a worship that is dedicated to the one who sustains me while I’m here on this earth. If I am able to achieve this mindset, even though I am “relatively rich“, then I could be a conduit of God’s resources to those who need it most. I do try to lead my family in this way, but I am realizing more and more that I am not doing this enough.
God, help me be a steward of your resources and give me a heart for the poor so that they are first on my mind rather than last. Help me to have loose hands that are willing to give freely to the places you are moving and the people you love.