I while back i was reading about how some Christians could care less about poverty. In the book Radical, David Platt explains poverty as a blind spot to Christians just like slavery was hundreds of years ago. People read the Bible everyday and still treated their slaves bad. Not long after I read that, my friend was inspired to open a homeless shelter in our community. Just the other day I read Breanna Sipples new post "I See". I saw that God had brought the same thing to her attention.
Many of us see a person begging on the street and we want to do something for them but we don't know what to do. We are afraid that if we give them money they will spend it on booze or drugs, and if they do spend it on something like food it won't make a big difference to their overall life.
I was reading in the book of Hebrews last night and God made His presence known through these three verses:
Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. (Hebrews13:1-3, NIV)
Something that I ask myself everyday is "What really matters in the Kingdom of God?". Giving money is good to do but if you are doing is out of guilt that money is worth nothing. Just start with treating those in poverty with love. Put yourself in their shoes "as if you yourself were suffering". If that love leads to giving them money then give them money, that is what matters in the Kingdom of God.
Many of us see a person begging on the street and we want to do something for them but we don't know what to do. We are afraid that if we give them money they will spend it on booze or drugs, and if they do spend it on something like food it won't make a big difference to their overall life.
I was reading in the book of Hebrews last night and God made His presence known through these three verses:
Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. (Hebrews13:1-3, NIV)
Something that I ask myself everyday is "What really matters in the Kingdom of God?". Giving money is good to do but if you are doing is out of guilt that money is worth nothing. Just start with treating those in poverty with love. Put yourself in their shoes "as if you yourself were suffering". If that love leads to giving them money then give them money, that is what matters in the Kingdom of God.
So good! Love reading your thoughts on this! That is a great passage that really applies. Thanks for reading my post, it's still something I have to ask Him about, because I come across these people every single day. Keep writing!
ReplyDeleteAnd I think it's awesome your friend opened a homeless shelter!
There are many examples [scriptures/teachings] of poverty. Homeless people and or people in need generally challenge us more so than our friends or those close to us. So what is the Lord trying to show us about ourselves? We are all strangers one with another, and you never know...your best friend might be an Angel! It is the spirit of him that dwells within us that is the stranger. He desires to bless us and we can't see him or hear him! He desires that we would love him as he loves us. What he desires we can't see or receive because he's a stranger. As best you can, look at this passage [Heb 13: 1-3] from the perspective of the Holy Spirit wanting to bless us. Are we asking for the wrong things or are we too disappointed in ourselves to receive what he has for us? Jesus doesn't want us to see the homeless, or needy as wanting, God wants us to see them from his eyes. God wants us to just Love them. But before we can do that we have to see them and ourselves from Gods eyes. Do we even know that we are homeless and needy and in prison....and he loves us as we are? How are we looking at the poverty of others? Poverty from a financial perspective is one thing.; being spiritually impoverished is another. Which aspect of poverty do we have a desire to meet? Spiritual or Financial?
ReplyDeleteCan we even see they/we are financially impoverished because they are spiritually impoverished?
Is Hebrews 13 verses 1-3 talking about blessing one another financially or spiritually? Where does our true poverty lie? Are we rich enough to give it away and share with others? Or are we just as impoverished as they are and have nothing to give away but money?
Winsor......
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