I hear frequently the phrase it’s
better to teach a person to fish than to provide the fish. I don’t have any real objections to that
phrase but I also know that one of the central themes of the Bible is the care
of the poor. Many times we want to know
if the person requesting help “deserves” it.
Are they spending their money appropriately or are the squandering it
away on alcohol, drugs, electronics, cigarettes and such. Those are good questions. With what we have to help a person we want to
make sure our funds are being used for the right things.
Here
is the thing though. There is nowhere
that I find that the Bible instructs me to take an application and screen a
person in need of help for eligibility for that help. I found a little nugget in Proverbs 21
today. “The lazy desire things constantly,
but the righteous give without holding back.”
(vs. 26). I wonder why the
comment about the lazy desiring things constantly wasn’t followed up by a
command to refrain from giving to the lazy?
No, it is followed by a statement that the righteous give without
holding back. I think the wisdom here is
that it is not our job to determine if someone in need is deserving of our
help. Our job is to help. Let God be in the business o f judging right
motives. Next time you see someone in
need and you have the means to help, try helping without wondering if they are
deserving. Try introducing yourself to
them and finding out their name. Try
entering into relationship. Perhaps in
the relationship the changes can occur. I
like the caption of the picture above. A
quote by Mother Teresa: “Never worry
about numbers. Help one person at a
time. Always start with the person
nearest you. “
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