Who should help the less fortunate?

Hello D.W.D.I. Family!


   How are you all doing this morning? Me? I am doing alright.  It is a beautiful sunny day, I am alive, I have my family and my health so I cannot complain.  I am sitting here waiting for the library to open in the next few minutes so I can study so I figured I would catch up with you all.


  Okay, so am I the only person struggling with this question: Is it the government's role to help the poor or people who are struggling? One side says yes and the other says no.  There are downsides to both approaches.  There are people who are struggling who do not qualify for things like SNAP, WIC, Food Stamps, Medicaid, unemployment,  etc.  There are people who do qualify but abuse the system and just expect taxpayers to pay for them.  There are medical providers who overcharge the state and federal governments for unnecessary providers.  There are people who say the government is in a better position to supply aid to the poor.  There are people who say that charities and churches should help the poor and leave government out of it because it is a drain on state and federal budgets.  There are people who say that the church can better target need in local communities, not the government? Does that apply when it is hard economic times for many people and donations to churches and charities are usually affected? What about the people who have not gotten help from a church or who are too embarrassed to ask their church for help?  What about evidence that Medicare is more efficient than private care? What about people abroad in countries with famine, corruption, etc.?


     While I do not think I have Biblical support to answer the main question, I wholeheartedly agree that churches, charities, and followers of Christ should help the less fortunate.  It could be with monetary or food donations, volunteered time, or in any way because people need help or just need a break sometimes.  I know there is Biblical support for helping the less fortunate but does it extend to the duties of government (Click here for Biblical quotes by Jesus in The Huffington Post)?  The government, in my opinion, should most definitely provide basic services like clean water, clean air, trash removal, sanitation, etc., because it is in a much better position to provide those things,  but should it provide food, clothing, and shelter for the poor?  In my heart, I feel that the government should aid the poor but is that too much of a stretch? For me, I do not care how a family receives basic necessities as long as it has them, but is it right for me to feel this way? This is something that I struggle with and it is a topic of national debate.  I will add that I believe that the Church and Christians as a whole have to help more people.  I think this comes with giving ourselves to Christ.  We have to give more and more of ourselves to grow closer to God and to fulfill God's work here on earth.  I also think that this giving does include the giving of money.  I am definitely including myself in the "I need to give more" category because I can tell that since I have been concerned about paying for my insurance and my parents financial struggles I have given less, so I will start to turn this around and just trust that God will provide.  Additionally, when we accept Christ we become anew and changed forever by the mercy of God and the love of Jesus, does that not impact everything we do, including our jobs whether they are as politicians or as postal workers? Are we supposed to separate ourselves as Christians just to fit into some party ideology, or are we supposed to rise against the things of this world to bring heaven on earth?


Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?


   Well, I'd better head in to the library and get to work.  I will continue to ask these questions to God and wait for Him to reveal his answer.  If anyone has any thoughts on this, please feel free to express yourself in the comments section.   Take care and I will T.T.Y.S!


Love,
CCC