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Day Thirty-Seven

Everyone is Created in the Image of God (Read Proverbs 14:14-34)

"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality." ~ Desmond Tutu

Before we unpack today's wisdom lesson, let's take a quick "Injustice Inventory." Thoroughness and honesty are imperative, and to validate your inventory, ask somebody who knows you well to answer these questions as they relate to you.

  1. What isms and phobias do you suffer from? If you say none, refer to the imperatives above.
  2. Would you or others consider you a racist or a ______phobe? Why do you struggle with people who don't look, talk, act, smell, sound, speak, behave, and live the way you do?
  3. When you encounter people experiencing poverty, what happens inside your soul (The soul for the sake of this devotion is defined as your mind-will-emotions)? Do you go to great lengths to put them out of sight and out of mind? Do you dehumanize them? Why are you threatened by people experiencing poverty? Why do you despise people living in a state of poverty?

If you genuinely want to grow in the likeness and image of God and help change the world, you MUST deal with your isms and phobias because they fuel systemic injustice and oppress God's children. This truth is not a political stance; it's a directive straight from the Creator of the universe, God himself.

Scripture clearly shows how we treat the impoverished reflects our reverence for God. When we fail to respect the inherent dignity of the poverty-stricken, we dishonor the God who created them in His own image. The Bible is unequivocal - mistreating the disadvantaged is a grave sin that invites divine judgment.

Throughout the Old and New Testaments, God clearly stands with the impoverished and oppressed. He commands His people to defend the rights of people in need and to share generously with those who lack. To do otherwise is to rebel against the heart of our compassionate Creator.

People experiencing poverty are not second-class citizens. They are our brothers and sisters, created equal before the eyes of God. When we fail to treat them with the honor and respect they deserve, we humiliate ourselves and risk incurring God's righteous anger. It is a sobering truth that we dare not ignore.

If we claim to follow the God of the Bible, we must wholeheartedly embrace His concern for the marginalized and battered. Anything less is a damning indictment of our faith. Let us strive to reflect God's love by treating the poor with the dignity that their Creator intends.

31 Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker,
    but helping the poor honors him.

32 The wicked are crushed by disaster,
    but the godly have a refuge when they die.

33 Wisdom is enshrined in an understanding heart;
    wisdom is not found among fools.

34 Godliness makes a nation great,
    but sin is a disgrace to any people.

35 A king rejoices in wise servants
    but is angry with those who disgrace him.

When the poor are oppressed, it's an insult to God. Amid Jesus' parable about the sheep and the goats, he says: "When you {refuse}to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you {are} refusing to help me" (Matthew 25:31-46).

"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." ~ Elie Wiesel

Jesus told the world 11, "You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me" (Matthew 26:11).

If we take God seriously, then we take those stuck in poverty seriously. Besides addressing your isms and phobias, what can you do to serve the less fortunate in your circles, starting TODAY? Where can you GO and GIVE of your time, talents, and finances to bless those less fortunate than you? I'm not talking about sending a monthly donation through the mail, although it's a start. I mean, GO, immerse yourself with people experiencing poverty, be a voice for the less fortunate, and stand in solidarity with the people created in the image of God, just like you.

May God bless your hearing, understanding, and application of today's wisdom.