Giving to the Needy

Do you believe that everything that you make is yours? Do you believe that everything you own is yours? Let’s look at this biblically. Psalm 24:1-2 - The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

Over the last several months I have thought about this and struggled with it some. You see I work in Washington DC and there are many homeless people on the streets always begging for money. One particular homeless person even sits at the base of the train station that I pass at least once a week. When I first saw him there it made me uncomfortable. I would try to not look at him or try to walk around him. What made matters worse I saw him one day delivering papers early in the morning. I thought, this guy’s working why should I give him any money? Well one day God lay on my heart to put a dollar in his hat, but I still struggled to look at him and continue to give. I was thinking as the weeks went on and the winter settled in that he would find another warmer area to beg. Well he still sat in the same spot rain or shine. I gave him a few more dollars during the weeks. I then began to pray about this situation and God finally lay on me that I need to give to the needy.

It is not my place to figure out what this guy is going through, what he is going to spend the money on, or why he stays in that location. Just before Thanksgiving I gave him several dollars and told him that God loves him. God has put on my heart to help the needy and give what I can. I figured that giving him a few dollars a week helps this man out and God knows that I can afford it. So now I actually look forward to the times that we can meet.

If everything in this world is the Lord’s, then we are just stewards of His things. How then should we steward these things? One way is found in Matthew 6 verses 1-4 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

I remember many years ago there was a very quiet man that sat under a bridge in downtown DC that would not openly ask for money, but would sit there and hold out his hat. This man was there for a couple of years, if I remember. Anyway I ran into a friend that also lives near me that I haven’t seen in a while and we chatted. He told me that he and his wife had bought a farm, had a few horses, and had taken this man home to run their farm. They gave him a job and a place to live until he could get back on his feet. I know that these friends are not Christians, but they sure make some of us Christians look bad.

As we look at the devastation in Haiti I hear from many people how they wish they could help or I even hear some say “Well they deserve it, after practicing witchcraft”. Well is that the right attitude to have? Why should you care how they got there? They need help. Matthew 25:35-36 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Is it our place to question why God has chosen to put these people in their predicament? Whether they are homeless in the United States or in some far off country where they are hurting from an earthquake, they need help. What are you doing to give to the needy? What can you do to give to the needy?

Well I can suggest two ways to help the Haiti relief effort. One way is texting to the North American Mission Board and they will charge your phone $10 and use that money for the Haiti relief effort. The other way is called the Bucket of Hope. This is being sponsored by the Southern Baptist. Our local church is taking on the challenge of the Buckets of Hope. This is getting a white 5 gallon bucket, filling it with particular items, and then adding a $10 bill to the top of the bucket for shipping. The food in a single bucket can feed a Haitian family for a week. For more information on both of these ways you can go to: http://www.namb.net/.

Now I have also heard that we should help our own country before helping others. Well, what can you do about that? It seems so easy to help out other countries but we cannot see what we need to do for ourselves. I am sure that there are many sources out there to help out the people here in the US, but I cannot tell you which one to chose. If you want to help out, start praying to God and He will lead you in the right direction.

I wish I could tell you that I am doing more and more, but I am just beginning to understand what God wants me to do.  For now I am giving to the homeless man at the train station a few dollars a week and Jayne and I are going to fill 2 buckets with hope.