Lift Others Up

In this season of a global pandemic, life has been difficult for most people. There is a sense of loss of livelihood, steady incomes, structures, cash flow and plans that had previously been cast in stone. One day all was going well. We had all our ducks in a row, the future was sure and secure, and nothing by any means could interfere with it. After all, we had just come into a new decade and been invited to dream, speak and desire all that we could think or imagine. 

Then it happened fast and furious. Life as we knew it crumbled without warning. A virus was upon us, shaking everything we considered normal. A lot of people were caught off guard without savings, and they were only one salary away from poverty and starvation. Sadly, many could not afford three meals a day two weeks after there was a partial lockdown in the country. This situation caused a lot of organizations, churches and individuals to set up food banks. They put up M-Pesa paybill numbers on posters that had pictures of cereals, toiletries, cooking oil and of course the famous sanitizers which many had never heard of. Soon, every wholesale shop was a beehive of activity, arranging colourful bags of food items for distribution to the needy. The surprising thing was these needy people did not fit your usual profile. They were smart, presentable and needed a boost to literally survive. Poverty had come knocking fast and swift and left them wondering what just happened. 

Eradication of poverty is close to my heart. There is no dignity in being poor, and no one will take you seriously, even if you intend to change the world. This is not to demean anyone or blame people for their status in life, but to implore them to consider poverty to be a bus stop and not a destination. Loss can happen to the best of us. It could be as a result of unforeseen circumstances such as a global pandemic, a fire, illness or bad choices. However, it should spur us to move upward and out of that situation without building a camp there and calling it “My poverty”. 

We may say that after all, the Scriptures even say the poor will always be amongst us. But if you examine the context of this phrase especially in Mark 14:7 (NIV), Jesus Christ says, “The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me”. Reading this may cause some to feel a sense of vindication and justification for their state. However, if we examine this Scripture alongside Deuteronomy 15:7-11, we must be kind and generous toward those in need. It says, “For the poor you will always have with you in the land. Therefore, I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’” 

It is common for one to find out how many times the Scriptures spoke about money, heaven and hell, prayer and fasting. Yet have we asked how many times they spoke about food, feasting or sharing a meal. The Lord Jesus Christ was keen to ensure people had something to eat as he ministered to them. The miracles of the fish and the bread attest to this. In the new testament, food is mentioned approximately ninety times! It is a gateway to the heart and not stomach only. Conversions may happen over a meal because the body has been restored to its default settings and now can be rational and hear the word of God. 

A key takeout for me this season was to provide food to the less fortunate so that we ease their burdens. Let the pressure be off about where to find a daily meal and instead seek a source of livelihood. Changing one life at a time while being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ is the call for social transformation.