It’s something that’s always been on my heart, but really strongly as of late. Of course there are many ways one can serve many different people, and I believe as Christians we should just always be in the mindset of servitude, as stated in Philippians 2:3-5 :
Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only in his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus
But I want to talk specifically on serving those who are less fortunate. Mainly to just implore people to just get out there and give of themselves to others. Chances are, if you’re able to access facebook/twitter/tumblr right now, then you are much better off than a lot of people. The statistics out there are staggering of people living in poverty, people who can’t afford food - and people like to highlight children in Africa, who are no doubt important, but there are people right there in your own community who need so much.
And fact of the matter is, not enough people are helping them. Even sadder - not enough Christians are helping them, and this is what we’re called to do. Our priorities are seriously messed up sometimes as believers - yes, yes, yes, it’s completely important to just even have a belief in Jesus and to follow His commandments, but what are His greatest commandments? To love Him and then to love others. (Matthew 22:34-39). And how do we do that? Very simply - serve.
In fact, serving others covers both of those commandments up there. “As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40 - I recommended that whole passage actually). And for as encouraging it is to see people coming together to serve and feed those in need, it’s just as frustrating to see so many others pass them by.
I live in a decent sized city - but nothing too big at all. And there’s this one street that stretches across most of the city, but the most popular area of it stretches about 3 miles. And in just that three mile stretch, my best friend and I saw seven different people out there, with signs asking for help.
And maybe it’s me, but that just struck me so hard - seven different people, standing out in this hot hot NC weather, laying themselves at the mercy of people driving by to provide them with a little bit of help. And the tragic truth is that there isn’t much mercy going around these days.
And it’s not a haughty thing, it’s not a self-righteous thing - I just simply don’t understand how people cannot stop and give a little. Now I know it’s more to it than that, but I think if we really looked at the excuses we made, we’d find them either flimsy or just not important when we look at the big picture. Now if you don’t have any cash on you (goodness knows I hardly ever carry cash - bad habit, by the way) and have a meeting you’re heading to in 5 minutes, then fine. And not that I expect everyone to do what my friend and I did today - go out there with food and water with the intentions of giving it out - because it was premeditated, not us just randomly driving down the street. But it’s still disconcerting to me to be out there and see how many cars go by without a glance or consideration. And I have a hard time believing that every single person had a good excuse not to even give a little bit.
And I know, I know - “how do I know that these ‘homeless’ out there are legit? How do I know they’re not gonna spend the money I give them on alcohol? I rather give my money to an organization where I know what my money is being used for.”
Somewhat legitimate concerns. Sort of. And I get it. But I think there is something to be said for immediate service. Because you can go home after you see those people on the streets and donate to your favorite organization a sizable donation, but in the mean time, those people are still standing out in the hot sun, no doubt hungry, probably a little bit dehydrating.
Secondly, I agree that it’s better to give something like food than money. But that’s also because I don’t really put much stock in money, period - in general, I personally would rather be handed a sandwich than a $5 bill haha And giving food also really speaks to their direct needs in a more immediate way. But I don’t think that’s to say that if you don’t have any food on you that you shouldn’t still give them some cash.
Here’s the deal. “How do I know they actually need this money and aren’t scamming me?” How many people are going to stand out in 90 degree weather on a busy street, swallowing all pride to beg if they don’t need it? I don’t care about that one story you heard about the guy who asked for money then got into a Mercedes a few minutes later - even if that did happen, I’m sure that’s a one in a million scenario. Fact of the matter is, to stand out there asking for help like that, you either have to be at least a little crazy or you have to actually really need that help because it’s your last resort. So I think there’s a very high chance that the people out there legitimately need help.
Next question - “How do I know they won’t spend their money on booze?” You don’t. You can assume, guess, give benefits of the doubt, but you really really don’t know. But God doesn’t call us to serve, but only under certain conditions. God doesn’t tell us to help … but only in these cases. We’re called to love and serve people, and what that person does with your money is between them and God. So let’s not worry about that so much and just do what we’re called to do. Because I highly doubt that when the events of Matthew 25:31-46 take place, God’s going to say, “So yeah, what you did to the least of these, you did it to Me…except that one guy bought alcohol with your money, so tsk tsk, you shouldn’t have given him money - go stand to left because of that.”
I think we’re supposed to fully adopt a true servant’s heart, and if we let God live through us and are compelled and motivated to do His service, then details like “what are they going use this for?” don’t really matter. And we can just find joy in being able to invest in the life of someone who really needs it.
I just really don’t think there’s any real excuse not to give, at least in someway. I used to struggle with this mindset of “Well, I don’t have much to give now, but when I eventually do get money - that’s when I’ll give.” But here’s the thing - first off, as believers, we have this guarantee that all of our needs will be provided for (Matthew 6:25-34 comes to mind - one of my favorites, actually). They absolutely will be met, and I’m very inclined to believe that they especially will if we’re giving (Proverbs 19:17). Now I don’t like the idea of doing good for the sake of reward. I just don’t think that should be the motivation at all, but the fact is, we will be rewarded for our deeds.
And there have been times that I was far from set financially, living off of the absolute bare minimal - having enough food especially was a concern for me - and as a result, I was certainly reluctant to give the little I had to someone else. But the thing is, there’s always someone who needs it more than I do. I wasn’t the worst off I could’ve been, and God kept on continually providing for my needs, so there really was no excuse for me to not give. And often times, God has used a brother or sister in Christ to provide for my needs, so I think that goes full circle, and He can in turn use me to provide for another’s needs. There’s a particular passage that I love because it motivates me to keep in this mindset:
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and He saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And He said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Luke 21:1-4
I heard someone say once, “If you don’t give when you have a little, you won’t give when you have a lot either.” Which I don’t necessarily believe is entirely untrue, but I think it’s important to be in the habit now, regardless of income. Because if anything, you certainly will continue to give, and even more so, when you do have a lot, if you’re already in the habit of giving when you have a little. And I think that just forms a good kind of relationship with money if you give when you have a little - shows less of a dependency on cash, and more on God. But I’m straying a little here.
This is long, I realize, but I just really want more people to get out there and serve. Capitalism is such a frustrating institution - it screws over a lot of people, and the government has kind of be trying, but the right amount of help just doesn’t get to every single person who needs it. And every bit of legislation that gets turned down that could help people living in poverty frustrates me so much, but then I realize - I’m not gonna put this in the hands of the government. We lived in a flawed world with flawed institutions. Instead, I’m gonna put this in the hands of Jesus and His principles. And we can go out there and help people ourselves - every little thing counts. Like that story about the poor widow - even if we don’t have much, people have much less - let’s serve and give all we can.
Of course, as Christians, I feel like the call of service doesn’t stop at just giving people some food and money and calling it a day, but also really investing in their lives, personally showing them love, engaging with them, and yes, sharing the Gospel. I haven’t done this myself in my recent time serving the homeless, but I want to change that, because I think it’s so important. It’s hard when you’re literally driving by in the midst of on-going traffic to give some food, but I would love to just talk to these people, out of love - I’m sure they’d appreciate it, too. So I guess in addition to serving, I would implore everyone to talk to the people they serve, too. That’s what I’m gonna focus on doing.
I hope this didn’t come off as pretentious or anything. Matthew 6:3, after all. But I just felt like maybe if I shared a little bit my feelings on serving and such that it could help encourage people to go out there and serve as well. I just have these moments after God has giving me the opportunity to help someone of this kind of peace of, “This is what life is”, you know? It’s what makes sense to me, more than anything - God has us here as believers for a reason. We’re gonna be fine, you know - but not everyone else has that luxury of knowing that, so I think it’s on us to go out and help them be fine. Both in their physical needs and in their spiritual ones.
So I really just implore you - please the next time you see a homeless person or anyone just out on the street asking for help (because they’re not all homeless, persay but that doesn’t mean they aren’t living in intense poverty), don’t pass them by. Even if you have loose change on you - anything really to show to love of Jesus to someone who needs so much.
And I definitely would encourage anyone to go out there to intentionally serve these people. It’s just such a great thing - not in the “oh, I’m so great for doing this” sort of way. Not at all. But just to see the genuine, grateful smiles of these people, to be so close to God’s heart in those moments, to be able to share in that with my best friend, to know the blessing of God being able to use me for His purpose. It’s humbling, it’s enlightening, it’s meaningful, and it’s peaceful. There’s such a simple, but true joy to be found in that. As there is when following any of God’s commandments.
And to be able to come back home, knowing that someone’s day is a little better in the midst of hardships they have to endure - it makes me feel really good. Not about myself, but for them.
It really is such a shame, all the people out there going through so much, struggling for even their basic needs - the things we all take for granted so much. So I just think of the big difference that could be made if all of us consciously gave more and served more. I’m not a big financial knowledge person, so I don’t know if there actually is enough money to go around to provide for everyone, but I certainly know it could evened out some.
Last thing that’s sort of related - don’t waste food. Please just don’t. Get a doggy bag and eat it later or something, but just seeing how the people I saw today reacted to a $1 chicken sandwich and comparing that to the amount of uneaten food people left on their tables at the last job I worked at - it’s just ridiculous.
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled, without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James 2:14-17
God bless.
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