Giving to the poor

Last thursday i was at maroubra junction about to meet some friends and there I saw a man. This man was sitting in a very uncomfortable position holding out his cap and looking down. Yes, he was a beggar. I saw his cap empty with only 50c in it.

At first, i passed by him, but I'm sure it was the Spirit telling me to give some money to him. So after a few meters away from him, i looked back and i opened my wallet - and saw loads of coins in it. I took a few, but a moment before i reached him, i saw his other hand going to his mouth and there he was smoking.

Just in case you live outside of Australia, you wouldn't know that cigarrette is not cheap here. the cheapest of cigarettes cost $10+.

So when i saw him smoking, quickly without hesitation, i put my coins back in my purse and walked away. I thought to myself "it's more helpful to him if i don't give him any money, because he would spend my money for things like this anyway". And walked away feeling less guilty.

Now about the poor, again if you don't live in Australia you wouldn't know that everyone who are poor in Australia are generously helped by the government. They are paid a certain amount of money to survive and there are social services available everywhere for people to help them get a job (if they are looking for it). So to be poor in Australia, you must do really badly to beg for more money.

And as i walked, I remembered that i heard a sermon once in which the minister said: "don't give money to the poor because they will use it to buy smoke or alcohol, if they asked for food give them food and if they asked for shelter give them shelter but not money"

This remind me of what Jesus said in Matthew 25:31-46:

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, [6] you did it to me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

It may be true that the poor and sick that Jesus was talking about here is fellow Christians, but i don't believe that is entirely true. When did God ever told us who are our "fellow Christians"? When did God ever give anyone the gift of "separating brothers and sisters from unbelievers". So i believe that Jesus was talking about everyone.

SO what am i getting at- i hear you ask.

Now when i think about it, i do feel guilty for not doing anything for that man. because i know fully that there are more things that i could do to him than just giving him money. I could talk to him or i could at least ask him what he needed the money for, but i didn't i was too scared. I was too caught up with my own thinking.

Too many times this happened. I'm a sort of person who thinks more than i do. So often, when i finished thinking - i missed the opportunity completely.

I know full well that God is in control of all these happenings even when i didn't do anything. But you know what, God taught me one thing today and that is:

Whatever you do - do it as you do it for the LORD.

What that means is that even when the result is bad, even when giving money to the poor means that they would end up wasting it. Do it all unto the LORD. Do it as you are doing it for the LORD and believe that He is able to use it for His own glory.

I read a wonderful rationale for being a generous person in a rich country like Australia by a man named B.B.Warfield:

Now dear Christians, some of you pray night and day to be branches of the true Vine; you pray to be made all over in the image of Christ. If so, you must be like Him in giving..."though He was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor"... Objection 1. "My money is my own." Answer: Christ might have said, "My blood is my own, my life is my own"...then where should we have been? Objection 2. "The poor are undeserving." Answer: Christ might have said, "they are wicked rebels...shall I lay down my life for these? I will give to the good angels." But no, He left the ninety-nine, and came after the lost. He gave His blood for the undeserving. Objection 3. "The poor may abuse it." Answer: Christ might have said the same; yea, with far greater truth. Christ knew that thousands would trample His blood under their feet; that most would despise it that many would make it an excuse for sinning more; yet He gave His own blood. Oh, my dear Christians! If you would be like Christ, give much, give often, give freely, to the vile and the poor, to the thankless and the undeserving. Christ is glorious and happy and so will you be. It is not your money I want, but your happiness. Remember His own word, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Isn't that a wonderful exhortation?

Prayer points:

That i would be a generous giver - quick to act - to do the things that are good.

Pray that I would also be wise in whatever i do - but don't let my wisdom be a wisdom of my own but a selfless wisdom - the wisdom of Christ.