Should We Help Other Countries Before Our Own?
No question about it, here in the United States, people need our help.
Adults are scared.
Kids are hungry.
Families are hurting.
So it’s easy—even justifiable—to think we should limit our concern and our resources to the needs right here in the U.S. Some might even argue it’s the spiritual thing to “help the people at home.” So should we help other countries when our own needs help?
It’s a good question. Logically, it makes sense. Biblically, however, the answer is worth closer consideration.
AN URGENT PROBLEM
Right now, at least 36 countries around the world are facing famines of biblical proportion. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), at the end of 2019, 135 million people were living with acute hunger, but with many countries around the world still experiencing quarantine or the effects of quarantine, as many as 265 million are now struggling to find food.
Countries without sufficient infrastructure to handle crises are crumbing under the weight of the global pandemic. Think of the items that have been hard (or harder) for you to get in recent days: toilet paper, milk, diapers. If we’re struggling to get what we need here in the land of plenty, how are people in countries like Haiti—the poorest country in the Americas—expected to get what they need?
Our own Lifesong teammates and ministry partners around the world have told us that hunger will likely kill a lot more people than coronavirus ever will.
A CHRISTLIKE SOLUTION
When we trusted Christ for salvation, we accepted a citizenship far bigger than anything national—we became part of the family of God.
While we love our country and what God has provided, we are Christian citizens—always in that order—meaning our first and highest obligation is to God and what He cares about.
And what does God care about?
David Platt recently answered the question this way:
Our God loves the world, and we want our hearts to be a reflection of His heart. So yes, we focus on love for each other. Yes, we focus on love for our city. And yes, we focus on love for the world.
We should care about things here at home, but we don’t just care about the needs at home. We should focus on the needs of the nations. And right now, orphans and vulnerable children around the world have big needs. They need our help.
Even as the worst parts of this pandemic lessen here in the U.S., vulnerable children and families around the world will continue to suffer the aftershocks for weeks, months, and even years.
The effects of this pandemic are far from over for those who need our help the most.
A SIMPLE ANSWER
So why do we help people around the world when we need help here at home?
We can try to answer this question using flawless logic and airtight arguments, but in the end, it boils down to simply knowing and mirroring the heart of God. We love the world because God loves the world, and so we join God where He is already working.
And since we know without a shadow of a doubt that God’s heart is for all people, we can be confident that He will see our efforts and be pleased to multiply them.
Thank you for being an advocate for kids in need.
Support Kids in Need Here and Around the World.
100% of your gift to Lifesong goes straight to caring for kids in need. Specifically, your gift goes where it’s needed most to reach orphans through adoption grants and loans, global orphan care, and sustainable business initiatives.
