Matthew 5:42 “Give to him who keeps on begging from you, and do not turn away from him who would borrow [at interest] from you.”
Deuteronomy 15:7 – 8 “If there is among you a poor man, one of your kinsmen in any of the towns of your land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not harden your [minds and ] hearts or close your hands to your poor brother; 8 But you shall open your hands wide to him and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.”
It happened in Manhattan in 1982. My husband was walking across town when a man stopped him and gave him an improbable hard luck story, asking for $10 and promising to send repayment later. My husband’s first reaction was to refuse the request, but when he prayed, God told him to give the man the money. My husband gave the man the $10, and explained that the money was from God, so how the man used the money was now a matter between this man and God.
It happened in Tamale, Ghana just three days ago. We were passing through town and at every stop light the beggars were moving up and down the line of cars. What to do? Must we give to every single beggar in town every time? Must we hand out money each time somebody asks?
Sometimes these decisions are very difficult. And Jesus knew that very well. The fundamental law of the Kingdom of God is that the measure we give out is the measure that will come back to us. Luke 6:38 says, “Give and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they pour into the bosom. For with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others, it will be measured back to you.” First, we must recognize that the resources we have are gifts from God. Once we see our money and our possessions as something God has loaned us, it is much easier to let go and pass those things on to others.
A second question is the matter of qualification: what if we feel that someone is only going to waste our donation on drugs or alcohol? In such situations, it is vitally important to pray and to seek God’s guidance. The mark of the Holy Spirit is peace, and we pray frequently asking God to give us His peace about decisions. But if both of us feel a leading from the Holy Spirit, we will still give money.
Through the years, we have helped educate a number of students at various levels of schooling. Sometimes the school fees have hit at times when our bank balance was low; we have had to trust that God would be faithful to bring in the money needed at the right time. This August will mark 33 years since we first were accepted by a mission group. During all that time, not once has God failed to bring in funds when they were needed. We feel that as long as we keep passing the money along, God will keep sending it. But the day the money sticks to our fingers is the day that God will stop sending it. (Note: sometimes God’s timing is split – second! There have been times when the money has arrived just as things became desperate.)
We are children of a heavenly Father who sends blessings even though we don’t deserve them. Jesus suffered and died on the cross for our sins, even though we did nothing to deserve such mercy. If we are to be true followers of Christ, we must also be willing to bless others, whether or not they seem worthy. At the same time, we also are to be good stewards of the resources God has given us. The only way that we can strike a balance is to continue to pray and ask for guidance.
PRAYER: Father God, we want to be good citizens of your heavenly Kingdom. But sometimes it is difficult to know when to help and when not to. Please guide us so that we will be channels of your love and grace to those around us. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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