Alleviating Poverty By Providing Work

Jesus promised we would always have the poor with us. This does not mean we should ignore the poor. But how can we help those in poverty? We should give income generating opportunities to the poor as we’re able to. Items from Gospel for Asia’s Christmas Gift Catalog help provide jobs for people in Asia to help them escape from poverty.

The Problem of Poverty

Since the Fall, there has been poverty. For centuries, people have been trying to solve the problem of poverty. Yet Jesus said in Matthew 26:11, “For you have the poor with you always (Matthew 26:11).”[1] This does not mean we are to ignore those who are trapped in the cycle of impoverishment. Instead, we are providing opportunities for them to help them escape this cycle. We can do this in various ways, one way is through Gospel for Asia’s Christmas Gift Catalog.

Celebrate Christ and Help Families Escape Poverty

People in the West can donate farm animals to those in Asia through Gospel for Asia’s Christmas Gift Catalog and help families in Asia get an income. One such family in Asia got a cow and a calf. This cow helps them take care of their crops. According to Gospel for Asia, “Now, because God provided a cow and a calf for Kalapi, her family is enjoying a stability they desperately needed. The cow provides Kalapi’s children with milk, a source of protein that has helped their bodies grow stronger.”[2] For Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported missionaries and pastors, distributing gifts is a way to celebrate Christ and help families escape poverty. Heifer International does something similar for farmers. It loans out animals to farmers, which the they repay by putting the offspring of the animals on the market; thus, they can repay their loan and get an income.[3] Not only do Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported missionaries distribute gifts at Christmas time, but also all through the year. This helps families to escape poverty no matter what season it is.

Helping The Impoverished to Escape Poverty But Not with Hand-outs

We are to help the poor when we are able to. Hand-outs are not going to help the poor escape poverty. A handout is an item which makes people dependent on another person. It will only be through work that the poor will be able to escape from poverty. Even though Jesus told us we will always have the poor, this does not mean we should just sit back and do nothing.

[1] The Holy Bible. Matthew 26:11. New King James Version.

[2] “Forgotten People.” Gospel for Asia. http://www.gfa.org/gift/the-people-we-are-serving/

[3] Greer, Peter and Greer, Phil. Created to Flourish. Hope International: 2016.