When Good Choices Are Not Enough
Our friend Rachel Held Evans posted on the CNN Belief Blog in response to a blog on Dave Ramsey’s website entitled The 20 Things Rich People Do Every Day. Rachel points out, rightly, that Dave Ramsey has helped many people get rid of debt and make wise financial changes in their lives. But some of the theological assumptions about the poor that he has made are not only hurtful and untrue, they’re unbiblical. While we deeply appreciate the wisdom of much of Dave Ramsey’s approach and advice, we agree with Rachel that he missed the mark here.
Systemic injustices create barriers for the poor and people of color that do not exist for the middle class majority. This is not always obvious to those who enjoy a privileged status. Let’s be good listeners and learn from our brothers and sisters for whom “personal habits, choices and character” are not always enough to overcome poverty.
From Rachel’s post:
People are poor for a lot of reasons, and choice is certainly a factor, but categorically blaming poverty on lack of faith or lack of initiative is not only uninformed, it’s unbiblical.
God does not divide the world into the deserving rich and the undeserving poor. In fact, the brother of Jesus wrote that God has “chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him” (James 2:5).
God does not bless people with money; God blesses people with the good and perfect gift of God’s presence, which is available to rich and poor alike.
Category: General
Tags: Choice, Dave Ramsey, Oppression, Poverty, Privilege, Rachel Held Evans
Related Reading
The Evangelical Heart
qthomasbower via Compfight Rachel Held Evans posted recently about The Scandal of the Evangelical Heart. Citing a comment by John Piper (“It’s right for God to slaughter women and children anytime he pleases. God gives life and he takes life. Everybody who dies, dies because God wills that they die.”) she notes that when we approach the Bible in…
Hearing and Responding to God: Part 1
A reader contacted Greg asking about making “right decisions” assuming an open future and in light of the fact that God seems to rarely speak clearly. In this first response, Greg acknowledges that even with the best of intentions, our decisions can have outcomes that are unexpected even to God! How can we move forward…
Hearing and Responding to God: Part 7 (Final)
Here’s Greg’s final installment of this series (for real). Today he discusses our default settings when taking action. Do you generally do what is reasonable and seems right unless God says no, or do you wait and not act until you sense that God says yes? Hear what Greg has to say about that. You…
Speaking of “the Poor”
D. L. Mayfield wrote this guest post on Love is What You Do titled The Language of Poverty. How do we think of and interact with “the poor” on a daily basis? Here’s some good insights should impact our lives as Kingdom people. From the article: Words like “the poor” mean something. They are rich,…
If you really want to defend the poor from Caesar, shouldn’t we use the political means that exist? It’s easy to make your argument when you are in a position of privilege.
Question: I’ve been reading your blogs for a while. I’ve read multiple texts written by you and it’s difficult to listen much longer as someone in poverty. It’s easy to make your argument when you are in a position of privilege. The Church doesn’t have the power and resources to help the poor everywhere. Christians…
Who Are the BEST Teachers of What It Means to Be a Follower of Jesus? —Dennis Edwards
Dennis Edwards’ ReKnew Cross Vision Conference Keynote Dennis Edwards shares a fantastic message on why, generally speaking, marginalized Christians are the best *teachers* of what it means to be a follower of Christ. ____________