The Helpless Poor Critical Thinking Samples

Chapter 13, “The Helpless Poor,” of Ellen G. White’s book The Ministry of Health and Healing challenges the Christian reader about the level of assistance he/she gives the poor. The chapter uses multiple bible verses to emphasize God’s will for people to help their fellow human beings who are need. This chapter stresses on the need for Christians to be Christ-like by showing loving-kindness if they are to be considered as true Christians.
This chapter was an eye opener for since it initially helped me remember the fact that there are different categories of poor people. On one hand are poor people who if offered the right opportunities and resources can better their own lives and become independent, while on the hand are poor people who will continually require our help (White 1999). White reminds me that poor people like the sick, orphans, widows, the aged, and the fatherless will always require our sympathy and should never be neglected. God has made us stewards over such people and it is our responsibility to take care of them (White 1999). To do this, White (1999) informs us that we first need to shed our selfish nature.
It is only through being selfless that we can help the needy. This is because God does not feed the helpless poor through sending manna from above, or by having ravens bring them food, but by changing the hearts of men expelling selfishness. This is the followed by them releasing the love of Christ which causes them to help the needy (White 1999). This chapter also explains that those who give have God’s reward and become his children.
I am convinced by White’s point that we should always be ready to help the needy. We should help lighten the burden of poor widows since they struggle to raise children in the absence of their father. This is possible if we stop being self-centered and think of the welfare of such people. I further agree with her that people without children should show love to orphans and take care of them rather than wasting time showing affection to pets which do not even know its meaning (White 1999). This chapter also informs us to be selfless and welcome the aged to our homes or have the church assist them, rather than rejecting them and seeing them as a bother (White 1999). The old in their last days need to enjoy the company of hopeful youth who can in turn benefit from their wisdom (White 1999). This calls for us not to be mean to them but welcome them with love. This makes me think about my own future making me realize that I will also grow old one day and I would not want younger people of that time to see me as a bother.
The concepts discussed by White would also be useful for spiritual assessment. These would be useful for persons like healthcare providers since they can personally use them to better the care they give patients. Even though nurses are not spiritual counselors, they would still need to be comfortable when tackling spiritual matters with their patients for more holistic treatment. It would be necessary that nurses use whatever methods of assessment they would use on patients on themselves. This would help to form a strong foundation for discussion of religious matters with patients. A nurse may therefore consider the role of his/her religion in taking care of the patient. He/she may also consider their source of hope. Additionally, it would be vital for him/her to consider the practices required in his/her personal spirituality.
If a nurse is a Christian, religion demands that he/she takes care of the needy. This is where White’s discussion applies. Just like the aged, and orphans, the sick are also helpless and require care. As White (1999) explains in her work, the book of Galatians requires that we do good to all whenever an opportunity arises. A nurse may therefore fulfill this by providing patient care like: attending to a patient’s wound after surgery, helping in diagnosis, helping with therapy, feeding the patient, helping the patient regain his/her speaking ability after a stroke, helping the patient have laundry services, and helping the patient move, among other forms of care. These activities require selflessness which is advocated in White’s work. She also encourages ministering to the needy hence nurses can do this by ministering to Christian patients in case they identify scripture as a source of hope during spiritual assessment. Based on White’s work, a nurse may also offer any other kind of help be it financial, or spiritual as long as it is possible, since it all narrows to self-denial to assist the helpless poor.
In summary, this chapter serves as challenge for people to reflect on their role in fulfilling God’s requirement that we take care of our needy brothers and sisters. Most people rarely fulfill this and this work by White calls upon us to end our selfish qualities and adopt Christ-like love and selflessness if we to be called true Christians. It is up to each individual to decide whether he/she will continue to be selfish and ignore the suffering of their fellow humans, or to be kind to them and receive God’s blessing.

Reference

White, E. (1999). Online Books - The Ministry of Healing. Whiteestate.org. Retrieved 23 March 2015, from http://www.whiteestate.org/books/mh/mh.asp