Poor Tragedy
Adam Smith said "The real tragedy of the poor is the poverty of their aspirations."
My husband and I often are faced with situations around us of people who are in dire straights. Our desire is to be the hand and feet of Jesus in our life so we do all we can to help in whatever way we can. Sadly, many times it is only a bandaid for their situation. Our intent is to help them get a "leg up" as it were, but we have found that what a person thinks really does make a difference in the outcome. We have discovered that there is a lot of people who DON'T want to earn much but they DO want to enjoy the fruits of others.
It appears to me that our government is creating a whole new society of people who want what others have but are too lazy to do what is needed to obtain it. America is the nation it is because of men and women who wanted out of a society that held them back. They were hard working men and women who did what was necessary to fulfill their dreams. If the majority of the people who live in America now were the ones who founded it, it would be like all the other floundering countries of the world. And if we don't turn back to the convictions our country was built on ... God help us.
I believe in redistribution. Now let me finish before you stone me. The redistribution I am talking about is voluntary. When God blesses us with material things, wealth, talents and abilities, I believe he wants us to use it to help others. His Word tells us to care for those who can't care for themselves in our community. What I do NOT believe is that the government has a right to take my hard earned dollars and hand it to a slug so they can have a better life. Having "things" does not equal a better life. We have become a society that determines wealth by material possessions. "Things" can be taken away but achievement can not. It feels good after I work hard all day and I go to bed at night with the feeling of accomplishment. And when I have a dream, and go after it, what elation I feel when it is fulfilled. The joy that comes from such accomplishments is being stripped from those who we call "less fortunate". Handing them a check for doing nothing is cheating them. They are not less fortunate just less motivated.
My husband and I often are faced with situations around us of people who are in dire straights. Our desire is to be the hand and feet of Jesus in our life so we do all we can to help in whatever way we can. Sadly, many times it is only a bandaid for their situation. Our intent is to help them get a "leg up" as it were, but we have found that what a person thinks really does make a difference in the outcome. We have discovered that there is a lot of people who DON'T want to earn much but they DO want to enjoy the fruits of others.
It appears to me that our government is creating a whole new society of people who want what others have but are too lazy to do what is needed to obtain it. America is the nation it is because of men and women who wanted out of a society that held them back. They were hard working men and women who did what was necessary to fulfill their dreams. If the majority of the people who live in America now were the ones who founded it, it would be like all the other floundering countries of the world. And if we don't turn back to the convictions our country was built on ... God help us.
I believe in redistribution. Now let me finish before you stone me. The redistribution I am talking about is voluntary. When God blesses us with material things, wealth, talents and abilities, I believe he wants us to use it to help others. His Word tells us to care for those who can't care for themselves in our community. What I do NOT believe is that the government has a right to take my hard earned dollars and hand it to a slug so they can have a better life. Having "things" does not equal a better life. We have become a society that determines wealth by material possessions. "Things" can be taken away but achievement can not. It feels good after I work hard all day and I go to bed at night with the feeling of accomplishment. And when I have a dream, and go after it, what elation I feel when it is fulfilled. The joy that comes from such accomplishments is being stripped from those who we call "less fortunate". Handing them a check for doing nothing is cheating them. They are not less fortunate just less motivated.
Comments
Post a Comment