Christian Attitude Toward Want and Suffering
369
Men and women of God, persons of discernment and wisdom,
should be appointed to look after the poor and needy, the household of
faith first. These should report to the church and counsel as to what
should be done
God does not require our brethren to take charge of every poor
family that shall embrace this message. If they should do this, the min-
isters must cease to enter new fields, for the funds would be exhausted.
Many are poor from their own lack of diligence and economy; they
know not how to use means aright. If they should be helped, it would
hurt them. Some will always be poor. If they should have the very
best advantages, their cases would not be helped. They have not good
calculation and would use all the means they could obtain, were it
much or little.
When such embrace the message, they feel that they are entitled to
assistance from their more wealthy brethren; and if their expectations
are not met, they complain of the church and accuse them of not living
out their faith. Who must be the sufferers in this case? Must the cause
of God be sapped, and the treasury in different places exhausted, to
take care of these large families of poor? No. The parents must be
the sufferers. They will not, as a general thing, suffer any greater lack
after they embrace the Sabbath than they did before
God suffers His poor to be in the borders of every church. They
are always to be among us, and the Lord places upon the members of
every church a personal responsibility to care for them. We are not
to lay our responsibility upon others. Toward those within our own
borders we are to manifest the same love and sympathy that Christ
would manifest were He in our place. Thus we are to be disciplined,
that we may be prepared to work in Christ’s lines
Care of Orphans
Among all whose needs demand our interest, the widow and the
fatherless have the strongest claims upon our tender sympathy. They
are the objects of the Lord’s special care. They are lent to Christians in
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trust for God. “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father
529
Testimonies for the Church 6:277, 278
530
Testimonies for the Church 1:272, 273
531
Testimonies for the Church 6:272