Testimonies for the Church Volume 1 - A New You Ministry

little ahead for a time of need. If the church should help such individuals instead ofleaving them to rely upon their own resources, it would injure them in the end, for theylook to the church and expect to receive help from them and do not practice self-denialand economy when they are well provided for. And if they do not receive help everytime, Satan tempts them, and they become jealous and very conscientious for theirbrethren, fearing they will fail to do all their duty to them. The mistake is on their ownpart. They are deceived. They are not the Lord’s poor.The instructions given in the word of God in regard to helping the poor do nottouch such cases, but are for the unfortunate and afflicted. God in His providence hasafflicted individuals to test and prove others. Widows and invalids are in the church toprove a blessing to the church. They are a part of the means which God has chosen todevelop the true character of Christ’s professed followers and to call into exercise theprecious traits of character manifested by our compassionate Redeemer.Many who can but barely live when they are single, choose to marry and raise afamily when they know they have nothing with which to support them. And worse thanthis, they have no family government. Their whole course in their family is markedwith their loose, slack habits. They have but little control over themselves, and arepassionate, impatient, and fretful. When such embrace the message, they feel that theyare entitled to assistance from their more wealthy brethren; and if their expectationsare 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 thetreasury 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 greaterlack after they embrace the Sabbath than they did before.273