A homeless guy approached me today.
Actually, that's a lie. I approached him. I'd talked to him before, and I saw him outside of Calvary Temple this evening, so I went to ask how he was doing. He couldn't remember my name, but remembered where we had talked. He said things were not going well, and updated me on the list of new illnesses and maladies that were plaguing him and his wife. He gave me a very thorough description of their needs, both health and financial. Upon hearing this, I was disturbed by the usual questions about the validity of his needs and what he was actually going to do with the money I gave him.
Last time I talked with this guy, I received some very wise words from a friend of mine whom I greatly respected. We'll call her Crepe (I like giving my friends food names). She said that God, in giving just as in all things, cares more about the motivation behind the action than the action itself. So if giving (or not giving) is done out of suspicion or prejudice, that is not bringing glory to God the way giving cheerfully does.
Discernment has always been something I struggle with. Judgment is something I ask God to help me with quite regularly, but I think in this case it would be merely over-complicating things.
Giving is not a delicate art, it is reckless abandon.
Jesus never said "I was naked and you clothed me, I was hungry and you fed me, I was poor and you didn't help me out because you suspected I might blow it on smokes."
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2 comments:
I think you're confusing things.
There's a difference between cheerfully giving and questioning motives of the recipient.
Does God care about motivation? Sure, I'll buy that: God wants us to give and help others when we have the opportunity and he wants us to do it cheerfully.
But if you're being suspicious or prejudiced, that's separate. In fact, you could argue that since we're stewards of whatever God gives us, we *should* be asking more questions when giving.
Take the example you gave. So this guy tells you that he needs money for whatever, but you think he'll blow it on smokes. If you just give him the money, what have you done? You've enabled him to continue in his lifestyle...you've done *nothing* to help him.
In fact, you haven't addressed any of his *real* needs. Illnesses and maladies? Do they need medicine? Are they going to any particular shelter regularly that you could contact to try and set up some way of getting funds to people who can purchase the required medicine for these people?
Jesus said all that stuff about naked and you clothed me, hungry and you fed me, etc. to show that we need to be meeting *needs*...and needs does not equate to giving out money to whoever asks and blindly assuming that God will have those people use the gift for good.
Not ragging on you for what you did...your heart is obviously in the right place...but I disagree that cheerful giving for the sake of doing what "God would want" supercedes what we're really supposed to do: care for people.
You're Crepe is a little burnt. ;)
Hmm...I appreciate the input. The thought was largely an expression with frustration with people who refuse to help those in need because they think that the homeless and downtrodden somehow 'deserve' it (though they'd never admit it, that's what's going on in their hearts). I think we both agree that the most important thing is not the gift, but rather the message that goes along with the gift. Thanks for commenting :)
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