How many people have you heard say they refuse to give money to someone on the street because they don't want to enable alcohol or drug abuse? How many times have you seen a fellow believer in need and the church turned them away because of "protocol"? How many of you are guilty of these things yourselves? How much longer will we help others based on whether or not WE think they are worthy of it? How many times will we request "time to pray about it" when the Lord presents us an opportunity to give?
People tend to only want to help when they approve or agree with what the person is doing that they're giving help to. I had a similar experience during a trip to Chicago recently. I was walking down a busy street; full of homeless men and women who were clearly under the influence of mind altering substances. A woman approached me and asked if I had any money to help her. My flesh immediately thought "she's just gonna go get alcohol or dope with this"; then the Lord gripped my heart and told me to give her what I had in my purse. He told me I'm not responsible for what they do with the money; that my responsibility is to do what He asks; whether it's direct from His word or in a moment.
After I returned home from that trip, the Lord reminded me that we don't know what He is doing in other people's lives and it's not our responsibility to teach them any lessons. He said, "For all you know, you could be giving money to someone who WILL go buy dope with it. But what you don't see is that it's that dope run that will bring them to the end of themselves and they'll receive my son." There are a many number of reasons the Lord may want you to help and it's not your place to determine whether His plan is satisfactory to you. Have you ever considered that someone may disagree with what you're doing as well; that perhaps there is someone who doesn't believe you are worthy because you're not doing what you should? We don't get to decide if someone in need is worthy; everyone will be in a need for a different reason and that is the Lord's business.
People tend to only want to help when they approve or agree with what the person is doing that they're giving help to. I had a similar experience during a trip to Chicago recently. I was walking down a busy street; full of homeless men and women who were clearly under the influence of mind altering substances. A woman approached me and asked if I had any money to help her. My flesh immediately thought "she's just gonna go get alcohol or dope with this"; then the Lord gripped my heart and told me to give her what I had in my purse. He told me I'm not responsible for what they do with the money; that my responsibility is to do what He asks; whether it's direct from His word or in a moment.
After I returned home from that trip, the Lord reminded me that we don't know what He is doing in other people's lives and it's not our responsibility to teach them any lessons. He said, "For all you know, you could be giving money to someone who WILL go buy dope with it. But what you don't see is that it's that dope run that will bring them to the end of themselves and they'll receive my son." There are a many number of reasons the Lord may want you to help and it's not your place to determine whether His plan is satisfactory to you. Have you ever considered that someone may disagree with what you're doing as well; that perhaps there is someone who doesn't believe you are worthy because you're not doing what you should? We don't get to decide if someone in need is worthy; everyone will be in a need for a different reason and that is the Lord's business.
I saw a drawing of Jesus with these words written on it "How can you worship a homeless man on Sunday and ignore one on Monday?" Does the Lord not already tell us in 1 John 3:17 "But if anyone has this world's goods (resources for sustaining life) and sees his brother and fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him?" There are just some things you don't need to pray about.
Matthew 25:35-40 "For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You? And the King will answer and say to them, Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”
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