The thing is...if we say we are Christians, we HAVE to help the poor. We have no choice. There are over 2000 verses telling us to care for the poor, the elderly and the outcast.
We can always say to someone who asks for money, "I'm sorry, I don't give money, but here is a sandwich, or gift certificate for a fast food place, or water, or whatever." (I have a friend who carries $1 gift certificates from local fast food places to hand out.) If we don't have the money to give even food, we can always say that, and pray for them. And perhaps volunteer at one of the many agencies that provides soup kitchens or food bank aid. We can always do something. And we must do something.
For Christ meant it when He said that when we feed the least of these, it is as if we feed Him. And He meant it that if we refuse to help them, it is as if we are refusing to help Him.
And I for one do not want to hear Jesus say that I neglected to feed Him.
The devil, and society, always likes to give us reasons not to help. "They'll just drink." "They don't work hard enough." "If they really wanted to change their lives, they would." And we can buy into these excuses if we want....most of us do at sometime or another.
But we have another choice. We can love the homeless regardless of whether they are drunks, or dirty, or have missed opportunities in life. We can love them just as Christ has loved us.....for we're fallen, broken, dirty people too...that He redeemed by His love. So let us show that same love to others, so that they might see Him through us.
We can always say to someone who asks for money, "I'm sorry, I don't give money, but here is a sandwich, or gift certificate for a fast food place, or water, or whatever." (I have a friend who carries $1 gift certificates from local fast food places to hand out.) If we don't have the money to give even food, we can always say that, and pray for them. And perhaps volunteer at one of the many agencies that provides soup kitchens or food bank aid. We can always do something. And we must do something.
For Christ meant it when He said that when we feed the least of these, it is as if we feed Him. And He meant it that if we refuse to help them, it is as if we are refusing to help Him.
And I for one do not want to hear Jesus say that I neglected to feed Him.
The devil, and society, always likes to give us reasons not to help. "They'll just drink." "They don't work hard enough." "If they really wanted to change their lives, they would." And we can buy into these excuses if we want....most of us do at sometime or another.
But we have another choice. We can love the homeless regardless of whether they are drunks, or dirty, or have missed opportunities in life. We can love them just as Christ has loved us.....for we're fallen, broken, dirty people too...that He redeemed by His love. So let us show that same love to others, so that they might see Him through us.
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