After graduating from Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, I took classes at a local university and volunteered at Victory Mission.

Wages from my fast-food restaurant job barely covered rent, so I subsisted on cheap macaroni, bread, and canned vegetables. Despite my 5-foot-11-inch frame, I dropped to 132 pounds.

The rental unit I shared with another CBC alum had no heat. On winter mornings, I dashed out of bed to start warm water filling the bathtub before retreating back under my blankets.

I walked several miles daily to avoid a 50-cent bus fare. One day, I took a wrong step and fractured my ankle.

By the time I reached work, my lower leg was severely swollen. Since I could not afford medical care, I asked a friend to take me home.

Unsurprisingly, the bone never healed properly. I could no longer run without intense pain. This condition persisted for two years until God instantaneously healed me during prayer when I was a student at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary.

After I became a pastor, money remained scarce. In fact, I sometimes longed for the food I saw congregants throwing away.

Today, as a full-time professor with a regular salary and health insurance, those early hardships are distant memories. Yet I don’t want to forget the struggles that are daily realities for millions around the globe.

Forgetting is not a risk for me alone. Many Americans live, work, and even attend church in socioeconomically isolated bubbles.

According to political science researcher Ryan Burge, U.S. churchgoers are most commonly married, college-educated, middle-class professionals. Religion in America appeals especially to those making $60,000–$100,000 annually.

It’s easy to forget the plight of the poor if we lack contact with them. Yet God’s Word offers repeated reminders.

The Bible mentions the poor or needy nearly 200 times. Scripture also highlights groups who were particularly vulnerable to poverty, mentioning widows, orphans, and foreigners more than 100 times.

Roots of Poverty

The Book of Proverbs warns that laziness and substance abuse can lead to financial problems (10:4; 20:13; 21:17; 23:21; 24:33–34). But like the rest of Scripture, Proverbs recognizes that the poor are often victims of injustice (13:23; 14:31; 22:16,22; 28:3,8; 29:7).

Wicked people take advantage of the vulnerable, exacerbating economic disparities (Proverbs 30:14; Ecclesiastes 5:8; Isaiah 32:7; Ezekiel 22:29; Amos 8:4–6).

Being poor does not suggest wrongdoing. The righteous can experience poverty (Proverbs 19:1; 28:6,11; Luke 16:22; Romans 8:35; 15:26). In fact, God has a special place in His kingdom for believers who are poor (Luke 6:20; James 2:5).

Notwithstanding prosperity theology that originated during the 20th century, Christian teaching throughout most of church history has associated spirituality more with self-sacrifice than material wealth.

Far from indicating lack of faith, suffering can move believers toward greater dependence on God (James 2:5; Revelation 2:9).

Amid the demands of ministry, the apostle Paul and his associates sometimes experienced hunger and homelessness (1 Corinthians 4:11; 2 Corinthians 6:5; 11:27).

Jesus himself had no place to lay His head (Matthew 8:20).

Similarly, believers around the world today live and minister in difficult circumstances, including many Pentecostals.

For example, the Assemblies of God is the largest Protestant denomination in Burkina Faso — a nation in which jihadists have displaced more than 2 million people, including at least 100,000 church members.

The AG also claims more adherents than any other Protestant denomination in Venezuela, where government corruption has led to a poverty rate exceeding 80%.

Biblical Priority

Caring for the needy is a central concern in Scripture.

This priority reflects God’s compassion. Deuteronomy 10:18 says, “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.”

The Lord not only cares about the poor and afflicted (1 Samuel 2:8; Psalms 68:10; 107:41), but He also defends them (Psalms 10:14; 12:5; 35:10; 69:33; 109:31; 140:12; Proverbs 15:25).

Caring for the needy is a central concern in Scripture. This priority reflects God’s compassion.

God is “a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows” (Psalm 68:5), and “a refuge for the poor” (Isaiah 25:4). He “watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow” (Psalm 146:9).

Whether rich or poor, all people are God’s handiwork and beneficiaries of His goodness (Proverbs 22:2; 29:13).

Part of Christ’s mission was defending the needy and proclaiming good news to the poor (Isaiah 11:4; 58:6; 61:1–2; Luke 4:18).

Jesus denounced religious leaders who were exploiting widows (Mark 12:40). He drove moneychangers from the temple, confronting those who had turned God’s house into a “den of robbers” (Mark 11:17).

This went over with the religious establishment about as well as Martin Luther’s critique of medieval church fundraising. (The unbiblical practice of indulgences during Luther’s time was exploiting the poor for the sake of religious monuments.)

Warnings Against Exploitation

Scripture repeatedly warns against taking advantage of the needy (Exodus 23:6; Deuteronomy 24:14; Proverbs 22:22; Isaiah 10:1–2; Amos 5:11–12).

God specifically called for the care and protection of certain vulnerable populations: foreigners (Exodus 22:21; 23:9); widows and orphans (Exodus 22:22); and the poor in general (Exodus 23:11; James 2:6). A number of passages group these marginalized peoples together (Deuteronomy 24:17; Jeremiah 7:6; Ezekiel 22:7; Zechariah 7:10; Malachi 3:5).

The Old Testament includes provisions for helping the poor sustain themselves. Israelites who were struggling financially sometimes needed a line of credit to sow their fields. God warned against profiting from their desperation by charging interest (Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:36–37; Deuteronomy 23:19; Nehemiah 5:10–11; Psalm 15:5; Proverbs 28:8; Ezekiel 18:8,13,17; 22:12).

Deuteronomy 15:7–11 commands those with means to give freely, without regard to whether someone would pay them back. This passage portrays stingy behavior as sinful.

Under the Law, employers who failed to compensate workers fairly — whether those laborers were Israelites or foreigners — might come under God’s judgment (Deuteronomy 24:14–15).

In both the Old and New Testaments, God promises to reward those who give generously and show kindness to the needy (Proverbs 28:27; Matthew 6:3–4; Luke 6:38).

Caring for the poor honors the Lord (Proverbs 14:31), and God will repay it as if the giver had lent to Him (Proverbs 19:17).

Compassion Mandate

Simply ignoring the plight of the poor is not an option. Caring for the needy is a biblical mandate and an expression of genuine faith (Psalm 82:3–4; Proverbs 29:14; James 2:15–17).

God instructs His people to defend the vulnerable (Proverbs 31:8–9). More than religious rituals, God values justice for the needy (Isaiah 1:17; Amos 5:21–24).

As Isaiah observed, the best kind of fast involves sharing one’s food with the hungry and providing hospitality to the unsheltered (Isaiah 58:6–7).

Similarly, James said genuine religion motivates believers to “look after orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27).

The Israelites were to leave a portion of their produce for the destitute, including widows, orphans and foreigners (Exodus 23:11; Leviticus 19:10; 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19–21).

Meeting needs is part of biblical righteousness (Job 31:19–23; Psalm 112:9; Proverbs 31:20; Matthew 19:21; Acts 9:36,39; 10:2). Proverbs 29:7 says, “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.”

It is human nature to favor those who can repay us in some way, but God rejects such prejudices (James 2:2–4). In fact, Jesus encourages prioritizing the needy (Luke 14:12–14).

In the ancient world, communities often repaid wealthy donors with public honor. But in God’s kingdom, we honor our Lord by serving the poor (Matthew 25:40; 2 Corinthians 9:12).

Divine Judgment

Oppressing the poor is an affront to God and invites His judgment (Psalms 9:12; 10:17–18; Proverbs 14:31; 22:16; Isaiah 3:13–15; Ezekiel 18:12–13; Amos 5:12).

The Law even included a curse against those who mistreated vulnerable people (Deuteronomy 27:19).

Scripture forbids using power to gain wealth at the expense of others. Isaiah railed against such injustice (Isaiah 10:1–4).

James denounced wealthy estate owners of his day who were exploiting the poor (James 5:1–6).

God holds accountable not only those who oppress the poor directly, but also bystanders who fail to protect them (Isaiah 1:23–25; Jeremiah 5:26–29).

Consider how Ezekiel describes the sin of Sodom: “She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy” (Ezekiel 16:49).

God’s people cannot look the other way. Proverbs 21:13 warns, “Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered.”

Feigning unawareness of suffering won’t work. After all, God knows our hearts (Proverbs 24:11–12).

Treasure in Heaven

In Jesus’ Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, the only obvious sin of the wealthy character was turning a blind eye to a beggar’s suffering at his gate (Luke 16:19–31).

We might not have poor people so near our homes, but we know there are needs beyond our gates and hedges. Instead of amassing more for ourselves, we can store up treasures in heaven through acts of generosity (Luke 12:16–21,33–34; 1 Timothy 6:17–19).

For Jesus, even wrangling over a family inheritance smacks of greed. After all, life is not about abundant material possessions (Luke 12:13–15).

Generosity was part of the Church’s DNA from the beginning. When God poured out His Spirit at Pentecost, He formed a community so united in love that they shared their possessions.

When a man of means asked how to inherit eternal life, Jesus replied, “Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Mark 10:21).

Serving both God and money is impossible (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). Jesus tolerates no rivals.

While abandoning all was the same deal Jesus had offered other disciples (Mark 10:28), the wealthy man was unwilling to give up his riches. Tragically, this man valued his goods more than eternal life.

In Luke’s Gospel, relinquishing goods was an important way of expressing repentance (Luke 3:7–11; 18:22; 19:8). In the context of counting the cost, Jesus said no one can be His disciple without releasing everything to Him (Luke 14:33).

As the 19th-century evangelist Charles Finney put it, we don’t lose all our possessions at the moment of conversion, but we do lose ownership of them.

If Jesus is Lord of our life, He is Lord of everything we are and everything we have. Therefore, we must steward resources as Jesus would — valuing what He values.

Global Need

The need today is great. Every hour around the world, approximately 1,000 people (many of them children) die from malnutrition, according to the United Nations World Food Programme.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 2.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, leaving these populations vulnerable to waterborne diseases.

Deaths from preventable illnesses disproportionately affect the world’s poorest. WHO indicates the under-5 childhood mortality rate in sub-Saharan Africa is 14 times that of Europe and North America.

According to a U.N. report, between 1.6 and 3 billion people around the world lack adequate housing, including 330 million experiencing complete homelessness.

Among the unsheltered are refugees. Open Doors estimates 16.2 million Christians are displaced in sub-Saharan Africa, many because of severe persecution.

For my family and many others, these are more than just statistics. After finishing a Ph.D. in France, my then-future wife, Médine, returned to her native Republic of the Congo.

While working in the U.S. Embassy there, Médine was caught up in a civil war. She and her family fled into the jungle, pushing their disabled father in a wheelbarrow. They remained refugees for more than a year.

During their ordeal, Médine walked five miles most days through snake-filled swamps and fields of army ants in search of food.

Their only water supply was contaminated with human waste and corpses. At any given time, someone in Médine’s family was close to death from malaria, typhoid, or another illness.

After 18 months, Médine finally returned to the ruins of her home, wearing tattered rags. Upon arrival, she learned most of the neighborhood children had died from war or malnutrition.

In many places across the globe, people are experiencing similar dire circumstances. They long for the basic necessities many of us take for granted — an adequate diet, clean water, a safe place to live, access to medical care, and education for their children.

As followers of Jesus, we must hear and respond to their desperate pleas for help.

The Church’s Calling

Throughout Scripture, God calls His people to care for the needy.

In what seem like incongruous statements, Deuteronomy says “there will always be poor people in the land,” but stresses “there need be no poor people among you” (15:4,11).

This is no contradiction. The point is that there will always be needs, but as long as the community uses its collective surplus to lift up those who are struggling, God will keep pouring out His blessings (Deuteronomy 15:7–10; cf. Psalm 112:5).

Collective responsibility for needs carried over to the Early Church. As Peter, James, and John commissioned Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles, they made one request: “All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along” (Galatians 2:10).

Although Paul focused on preaching more than fundraising, collecting resources for the poor remained a prominent part of his mission. It was a recurring theme in Paul’s letters (Romans 15:26–27; 1 Corinthians 16:1–4), accounting for two chapters of 2 Corinthians (8–9).

Generosity was part of the Church’s DNA from the beginning. When God poured out His Spirit at Pentecost, He formed a community so united in love that they shared their possessions (Acts 2:44–45).

This strategy of people giving what they could was not a one-off. Believers shared resources again during the next outpouring of the Spirit (Acts 4:32–35).

Contrary to what some envision, the Early Church was not a utopian commune. Rather, when members had need, others sacrificed to meet those needs (Acts 4:34).

Early Christians were not against having resources; they were for sharing them.

Paul instructed believers in Ephesus to earn an honest living and give to those in need (Ephesians 4:28).

Initially, the apostles received and distributed resources themselves (Acts 4:35,37; 5:2). When the task became too demanding amid growing needs and other ministry responsibilities, these leaders delegated it to people everyone in the Church could trust (6:1–4).

A number of groups throughout church history have also emphasized sacrificial giving, including many monastic sects, early Anabaptists, and the Moravian missions movement.

In a sermon on Luke 16:1–9, John Wesley said believers should earn all they can, save all they can, and use all they can to help others.

Wesley emphasized that God entrusts His followers with resources as stewards rather than owners. With that in mind, Wesley encouraged hearers to weigh each expenditure in light of Kingdom priorities, considering whether God would approve.

Benevolence Strategies

In the U.S. today, churches and parachurch organizations provide billions of dollars in social services.

Most churches have emergency benevolence funds for addressing crisis situations. Yet the ongoing needs in every community call for a more consistent approach.

Helping the poor on a regular basis requires intentionality and planning. Partnering with other churches to support food banks or homeless shelters might be a good first step.

Church leaders can raise awareness by preaching and teaching about God’s concern for the poor.

Addressing this topic wisely not only lifts shame from people in need, but it also empowers those with resources to view generosity as an expression of worship and obedience.

Some might even recognize giving as part of the Spirit’s work in their lives (Romans 12:8).

There are also church members with wisdom to develop practical solutions. They will take into account the kinds of situations keeping people in poverty, such as local economic declines, lack of education, broken homes, and health challenges.

Rather than leaving such concerns to individual congregants, churches should rally around those God is calling and equipping to meet needs (Acts 6:2–3).

Of course, needs within the body of Christ are not just local. In response to the coming famine, the prosperous church at Antioch took steps to care for fellow believers in Jerusalem.

Today’s world is more interconnected than ever. In addition to serving our own communities, we have opportunities to respond to the desperate needs of impoverished brothers and sisters across the globe.

When vast geographic distances are involved, it makes sense to partner with those in the best positions to recognize where needs are greatest and deploy resources accordingly.

At their best, denominations and parachurch ministries do not divide Christ’s body, but provide networks that allow us to minister more effectively together than we could on our own.

Effective Ministry

Accountability structures are important (Acts 6:3; 1 Corinthians 16:3; 2 Corinthians 8:19–23). When people give to the needy, they rightly expect those donations to reach the intended recipients.

Other than direct gifts to friends, I generally send my contributions through organizations with strong accountability structures.

God can equip people with prophetic insight and financial wisdom to handle resources wisely, whether in society (Genesis 41:25–40) or the Church (Acts 6:3; 11:28–30).

The more mailing lists we’re on, the harder it becomes to give to everyone who asks (Luke 6:30). We need wisdom to deploy our resources most effectively.

In addition to serving our own communities, we have opportunities to respond to the desperate needs of impoverished brothers and sisters across the globe.

This was a practical issue in the Early Church as well. Because resources were limited, the Church embraced the ancient custom of relying on relatives as the first safety net during times of need (1 Timothy 5:4,8,14,16).

When responsible family members were not available, the church community took care of its needy members. Responsible stewardship meant limiting such assistance to believers with the greatest need (1 Timothy 5:9–10).

Assisting the poor only with handouts risks creating unsustainable dependency. Along with meeting immediate needs, such as food and shelter, we can offer people tools for escaping generational cycles of poverty.

Long-range global strategies include economic development and empowerment. For example, some ministries provide grants for starting small businesses.

Others provide education for children or vocational training for adults, equipping beneficiaries for future employment.

Homes for orphaned children and shelters for victims of sex trafficking provide safe places to grow, heal, and learn about Christ’s love.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pentecostal preacher and Nobel Prize winner Denis Mukwege founded a hospital that has treated more than 70,000 rape victims.

Pentecostals have a long history of offering holistic and compassionate care to hurting people.

During the early 20th century, Pandita Ramabai helped pioneer the Pentecostal Movement in India through Mukti Mission, a refuge for women and children.

In 1911, Lillian Trasher started an orphanage in Egypt that has since sheltered more than 25,000 children. (Trasher affiliated with the Assemblies of God in 1919, five years after the Fellowship’s founding.)

It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of widespread human suffering, but there are many ways believers can put their faith into action.

For example, I send funds to help sustain and equip Christians fleeing persecution. I also recognize that promoting political stability and supporting human rights protections at home and abroad help safeguard fellow believers against displacement to begin with.

We can do more together than in isolation, so collaborating with trustworthy organizations directly connected with the global poor makes it easier to get resources where they are most needed.

Meanwhile, natural disasters and other crises continually arise in the U.S. and around the world. Partnering with trusted ministries like Convoy of Hope allows churches to respond rapidly and efficiently.

When tornadoes struck a community not far from my Kentucky home earlier this year, Convoy of Hope quickly arrived with truckloads of supplies, including food, water, tarps, and generators.

God’s Heart

Most North American Christians do not regularly witness extreme poverty, especially in places where food, schools, and even clean drinking water are in short supply.

Yet the Bible has much to say about the poor, inviting us to consider and meet the needs of those who are suffering.

Caring for needy people is a ministry that reflects God’s heart, advances His mission, and builds loving community (Acts 4:33–35; 6:3–7; 11:27–30).

Every congregation can and should do something to help the poor. Working with accountable ministries who can connect resources with needs is one of the easiest ways to make a difference.

In return, many of the recipients will offer something of far greater value: prayers of blessing and thanksgiving (2 Corinthians 9:10–15).