Deuteronomy 15.9 warns against a wrong attitude toward your poor brother.
Admittedly I struggle with a bad attitude toward those who stand on corners asking for money.It seems like a ruse to me and has been identified as much by local media.
Yet God Who is generous, commands His people to be generous toward the poor not based upon anything they have done or not done but because He is generous toward us.
Indeed God is generous toward me. God has blessed me far beyond my effort or beyond my so called ‘goodness.’
The Lord has blessed me because He is kind, good, generous and full of love and for no other reason.
Therefore He requires me to be like Him, equally generous, not based upon the merits of the recipient but because my pockets are full and I can bless. But this is hard for me.
I see that I am selfish, greedy and judgmental. I am not right before God or with my fellow man.
I need to get over myself and simply give because I have received.
If my goal is to live as Jesus did, and it is for so I am commanded and He truly is worthy of my full emulation, then I must give as much as I can as often as I can of all that I can that He might be seen and felt and thus glorified among men.
My husband always gives to those who ask, and the reward is to see our kids doing so.
Awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Great post. I used to give to people on the corners pretty regularly, then I stopped when the media story came out that some of these people are able-bodied folks who see standing on corners as their “business” and make a pretty good living at it. Because of your post I’ll have to rethink my approach again! Maybe the thing to do is give when you feel a definite urge to do so from the Holy Spirit, but drive by with a clear conscience when you don’t get that urge? Not sure but anyway you’ve given me something to think about! Thanks Mike and God bless … ~Jim
Great thoughts. I like it!