I just finished watching the television show Secret Millionaire on ABC. I have to admit it, I feel like crying every time I watch that show. "Why do I feel like crying every time I watch that show?", I ask myself. The answer is, not only are they donating to people in need, they are also affirming the people who are volunteering and reaching out to the poor and the homeless. They are encouraging them by telling them that their hard work is important and valuable.
Food and Clothes. John the Baptist told the new believers to prove their faith by giving their own food and clothes to the hungry and the poor. Jesus said "Feed the hungry and clothe the naked." I am crying when I watch that show because I am not doing my part for the Lord. I am not reaching out to the poor and the hungry and the naked. I have plenty of excuses and they all stink. "If you love me, do what I say", Jesus said. No excuses! I need to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. They are all around me but I chose to ignore them. I need to open my eyes and do what the Lord told me to do. Period! No excuses.
Are you feeding the hungry and clothing the naked? Food and clothes. That's pretty basic stuff. Especially if you don't have it.
Lets not pray about it, lets start doing it.
So while the Bible teaches to reach out to the poor, it also teaches a bunch of other things. Do not exhibit, Laziness, drunkenness, you get the idea. It also teaches that we the people of God, have all been given different gifts. My gift or gifts of the Spirit, may or may not include working with the homeless or destitute. Just as somebody else may not include, being a public speaker. Now all that said. Are there ways to support each other in our specific ministries? Of course. We can give monies to our church to be distributed, to those in need or to those supporting those folks. We also need to remember that we operate as a group and not individuals. The Bible also teaches that our involvement with each other and moral support is one of the most important things that we do as Christians. I think that in this age of fast food and fast life, that is the most important thing that we forget to do. Human contact
ReplyDeleteWhen we pay our taxes, we help feed the poor. When we donate clothes to shelters, we help clothe the poor. Giving is done in many ways that we often forget. A kind word of encouragement, a donation to a good cause, or a simple act of kindness is setting an example to others and when we do these things on a regular basis, we tend to forget we are doing them. However, the people on the receiving end are often times not only aware of these deeds, but appreciative of them.
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