Be generous but be wise.
Serve those in need, but do so in a way that truly helps them and ultimately gives glory to God.
Seek out people in need to serve them.
Luke 14:12-14 “12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
Matthew 5:42: “Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.”
Luke 6:30: “Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.”
Acts 20:35: “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Proverbs 19:17: “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.”
Proverbs 22:9 “Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.”
Be wise about balancing giving to those in need while also caring for those within your responsibility.
1 Timothy 5:8: “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Luke 12:33-34: “33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Our attitude towards money and possessions is vitally important. Everything that we have is from God and we should serve Him with ALL of it.
Meet practical needs without enabling bad habits.
We must be wise about how we help people, recognizing that we live in a very broken world and even well-meaning actions can have negative consequences.
Meeting a need is great, but helping someone to pull themselves out of a bad situation is better. “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day, teach him to fish and feed him for a lifetime.”
Proverbs 21:20: “20 Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.”
Practical examples of how to give effectively:
- Giving people cash is very rarely an effective response. That being said, be in step with the Holy Spirit for when He may be calling you to something greater.
- Giving people your time can be as valuable as giving them your money.
- Share a meal with someone.
- Care packages can be a blessing for people that have basic needs.
- Give to organizations
How is giving to people asking for money within the church different?
We are called to take care of the Church. As the literal body of Christ, it is important that we care for one another.
Acts 2:44-45: “44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.”
Accountability is present when you live life together. Because of this accountability, we have the ability to help each other at a deeper level without fear of misusing the resources that we give.
