Social Justice — Equality for Humans

How should wealth be shared, and who is responsible for the poor? This article contrasts the world’s government-driven welfare systems with the Bible’s call to voluntary, personal compassion.

Wealth, Work and Wise Stewardship

After the fall God indicated it would require hard effort to provide for our needs, with the Bible stating that the more easily wealth is gained, the sooner it will be gone and likely without any real lasting benefit (Gen 3:19; Prov 13:11).

The contemporary social justice movement aims to redistribute wealth from the rich to raise the standard of living for people who lack the same means. This is founded on a mistaken belief that the rich have become wealthy by exploiting the poor. This may be true sometimes, but not as a general rule – generally those who are financially well off are so because of the decisions they made, diligent hard work and wise stewardship.

Welfare, Dependency and Responsibility

Governments attempt to take from the rich and give to the poor through taxes, endeavouring to bring equality. Social programmes where public tax money is used to supplement the income of the disadvantaged and unemployed typically have the effect of causing the recipients of this welfare to become dependent on the ongoing handout rather than trying to improve their situation, so they seldom progress beyond the continual aid and remain disadvantaged.

Unfortunately, what starts as a lifeline of short-term help often becomes a long-term dependency, along with a sense of entitlement that removes any motivation to be self-sufficient. Each successive payment reinforces the expectation that provision is someone else's responsibility, and the longer the assistance continues the harder it is for the recipient to imagine life without it.

Do I focus on my rights or my responsibilities?

A culture of entitlement takes hold where the handout is seen as a right rather than a temporary act of compassion, and this weakens the very qualities – initiative, industry and resourcefulness – that enable people to escape hardship. The wiser course is to give a 'hand-up' rather than an endless 'hand-out': meeting urgent needs while encouraging, training and expecting a return to self-sufficiency, so that help restores dignity instead of eroding it.

This creates an inwardly focused mind-set featuring ‘my rights’ to receive instead of personal responsibility to be outward looking, giving to bless others, which the sowing and reaping principle states will result in a similar action (Gal 6:7; Eph 4:28).

A Christian Response to Social Injustice

The Bible contains repeated references to the less fortunate, including the fatherless and widows who had no support system in those times. Jesus mentions caring for the “least of these”, and James further explains the nature of true religion (Mt 25:40; Jas 1:27, 2:16). Society and the Christian community therefore have a moral obligation to provide humanitarian support for those in adverse situations beyond their control. The golden rule says we should put ourselves in the other person’s situation, “Doing to others as we would like done to us” (Lk 6:31).

The Christian approach to social injustice is more individual and focused on voluntary action, helping people by “loving our neighbour as ourselves” and so outworking the love of God (Mt 22:39; Act 2:45). “God is upright and just”, and we as His children should live by the same qualities (Deut 32:4). Those who have been blessed financially are to be good stewards, responsibly helping others, yet their benevolence should be done without drawing attention to themselves (Mt 6:3).

Who is God calling me to help this week?

In contrast, the world’s approach is a generalised, faceless, government-instituted, compulsory taxation system that is resented by those whose hard-earned wealth is taken and redistributed to those who may not fully appreciate the help they are given. This humanistic approach sees the government bringing relief through various welfare policies to provide for felt needs.

The God-centred approach sees Christians sharing Christ, as Saviour, with the less fortunate along with tangible expressions of love and justice – a holistic approach, ministering to spiritual as well as physical needs. Rectifying society’s misfortunes is not the focus of the gospel itself, but is the practical outworking of it. Thus any expressions of welfare and good works should just support and facilitate the primary mission of sharing the salvation message with the lost, without detracting from it.

Reflection and Application:

Am I more driven by my rights to receive, or by my responsibility to give?
Help those in genuine need voluntarily, generously and discreetly (Mt 6:3).
Encourage self-sufficiency in others rather than ongoing dependency.
Do to others as you would like done to you – the golden rule (Lk 6:31).