A poor man pleads for mercy, but a rich man answers harshly. Proverbs 18:23
Let me ask you something, when person in scraggly clothes with a sign that says “I’m homeless, can you help?” approaches your window at the end of an exit ramp (or at a major stop light), what do you do? Do you help?
I can hear many of the excuses now for not helping:
- We don’t know how they’ll spend the money.
True.
- How do we know this isn’t a scam?
We don’t.
- There are places that help those who are in that kind of situation.
True. They exist and are probably in the town you live in. So what?
Now read that verse again. See any similarities to “us” and “them?” Were there scam artists and drunkards and places to go for shelter in the days when this was written? Of course.
My point is this. As Believers we have opportunities daily to help the poor. We can make excuses all day long or we can help the poor among us. If you were in their shoes, would you want people questioning your motives?
One response to “Motives”
God has enabled me through the years to look at people through different eyes. I don’t know what the circumstances are with these individuals, what struggles they deal with or if they indeed put themselves where they are as many do. I will go and buy them food, but I will not give them money which could easily be spent on drugs or alcohol. After all we might be in their shoes some day. Thanks Dave.