I encourage you to read this article about George Mueller: https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/church-history-for-kids/george-mueller-orphanages-built-by-prayer-11634869.html. There is also a video documentary about him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ8DKz1mpa8 This blog will mean so much more if you at least read the article but watch the video if possible.

I won’t try to summarize the article so please read it. This quote tells what Mueller did: “He cared for 10,024 orphans during his lifetime,[ and provided educational opportunities for the orphans to the point that he was even accused by some of raising the poor above their natural station in British life. He established 117 schools which offered Christian education to more than 120,000.”

But the amazing thing about Mueller is not just what he did for orphans but how he did it. He operated on the principle of depending totally on God. When there was a need for food for his orphans, he would not go out and try to raise money as you might expect him to do. Instead he would pray to God for food and then just wait for God to provide, and God always provided what the orphans needed. That might sound a little extreme to us. A friend of mine is a fundraiser for EEM (Eastern European Ministries). I am not suggesting that his work for EEM is not needed. I am just pointing out the great faith of Mueller.

England had thousands of orphans, largely due to a cholera outbreak. There were no orphanages and the orphans would usually end up living on the streets, begging or thieving to survive. Some 6,000 ended up in prison for crimes. Mueller saw that and felt that God wanted him to open an orphanage, and he did. He totally depended on God to provide everything for that orphanage and the orphans in it. He would pray and then wait on God to provide, and God always provided. That first orphanage was opened in 1835, just two years before the publication of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens which publicized the plight of orphans and how poverty led to crime. You might enjoy reviewing the book at this time. As stated earlier, Mueller went on to care for over 10,000 orphans. I did not know how much he was involved in Christian education of orphans, so that was interesting to me since I am in Christian education.

Orphans have always been close to the heart of God. Psalm 68:5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” God has commanded His people to care for orphans. Deuteronomy 14:29 says, “And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.” He calls on His people to defend the “cause” of the fatherless. Psalm 82:3-4 Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Deuteronomy 24:17Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.”

So are orphanages, either private or government run, the best way to care for orphans? As with any good institution, there can be abuse and neglect in orphanages. Many sad stories of orphanages in countries where the treatment of the orphans is horrible. But good orphanages are still needed due to the vast number of orphans worldwide. There is a worldwide “orphan crisis”. “There are over 153 million orphans in the world today. Major contributing causes to this staggering number are war, poverty, disease, accidents, malnutrition and natural disasters. Other complex factors to the orphan crisis are human trafficking, child prostitution, and child slavery.” (AI) Thankfully there are many non profit organizations that raise money for and care for orphans worldwide. In my opinion, churches should be spending more of the Lord’s money that they collect from members on taking care of orphans, drilling wells for clean water, rescuing children from being boy soldiers and young girls from prostitution, etc. In other words, using the Lord’s money on the people that God cares about such as the orphans, the oppressed, and the poor. Instead churches on average spend about 50-60 % on staff and another 20-30 % on buildings for their own edification and comfort. That’s 70-80 % of staff and buildings. That doesn’t leave much for caring for the poor, widows, orphans, and the oppressed, does it?

The best way to care for orphans might be for stable Christian families to adopt orphans, but most Christians in churches (including me) have not responded to the call of God to adopt an orphan. I’m not saying that every Christian is called on by God to do that, but just imagine how many orphans could be cared for if more Christians adopted an orphan. My son and his wife adopted a Down Syndrome little girl from China. My daughter and her husband adopted 3 children. It has been amazing to watch how God has blessed their families through adopting children. I feel a little ashamed that I have not been more involved with orphans, but I am so thankful that my children have been.

There is a saying: “Pray as if it all depends on God and work as if it all depends on you.” Supposedly this quote is from St. Ignatius. That might be the strategy I would prefer. I am a type A workaholic, so often I work for the Lord as if it all depends on me and neglect prayer and depending on God. That is so opposite to what I should be doing. Others lead nice prayers but aren’t willing to work hard for the Lord. James 2:¹⁴ What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” We say, “put your money where your mouth is”.

So the example of Mueller’s total dependence on God and his work with orphans should inspire us to take a closer look at our faith and whether we (and our churches) are doing God’s work like He would want us to do in regard to the orphans and oppressed and poor of the world. Please read he article about Mueller. A very inspiring story.