Approaching Poverty: An 11-Day DevotionalIhe Atụ

## How should we help? # Everyone has gifts and skills to contribute Read Mark 12: 41-44 It is important to remember that everyone has gifts and skills to contribute to the kingdom of God. Believers experiencing poverty are called to participate in God’s work just as much as someone who is affluent. When the Bible says we should tithe, that also applies to the poor. When the Bible says we should go and make disciples, that also applies to the poor. This is because we all have much to offer the kingdom, regardless of our material wealth. As we learned in Day 5, God uses serving as a way to cultivate and strengthen His relationship with His people. And He wants a relationship with the poor just as much as He does with the wealthy. All throughout Leviticus, God’s law to the Israelites, we see several examples of accommodations made for those in poverty so they could still participate in God’s plans. Read Leviticus 27:8 and Leviticus 12:8 God’s laws for the Israelites gave specific instructions for how to include the poor. If we strip away a person’s ability to be involved, we strip away their opportunity to live in obedience. How much better to provide an accommodation that allows someone to contribute what they have to give? How beautiful that we serve a God who does not forget about the poor and wants them to be a part of His kingdom. [IMAGE CONTENT] ## Reflection At WAVS, we believe that opportunity is exponentially more powerful than charity. Charity meets short-term needs on a case-by-case basis. Opportunity has a multiplying effect that leads to long-term transformation in one’s self, family, and community. Instead of handouts, which can lead to dependency and conflict, we want to unleash the exponential power of opportunity. That is why students at the WAVS vocational schools pay a small tuition fee at the start of each course. By doing so, we are placing the power of change back into the hands of the students and allowing them to be the changemakers in their own lives. [IMAGE CONTENT]