There was a discussion recently on a Veterinary group email that I am a member of and one of the Veterinarians wrote the following. I was impressed and hope you will be too.
Jesus says that whatever you do for the least of these you have also done for me (Jesus). I believe his story about the good Samaritan really reveals his heart and addresses most of the reasons I have heard for not giving. The Samaritan found a man wounded on the side of the road. There were two real scary possibilities as to why he was there: Robbers (maybe still in the area) had done this to him or he was faking so that he could do this to anyone who offered assistance. The Samaritan ignored common sense and decided to help.
He did not ask if the man qualified for food stamps or any of the criteria of the local shelter. He gave all that was necessary to care for the man through the crisis.
As for questioning what will be done with the money, I have no guarantee that the money I give will be used for God’s purposes whether I give to a beggar or the elders at my church. But God never asked me to look into how the funds would be used. He told me to give. Each of my donees will one day answer to God for how the money was used. God will never ask me why I gave, but He may ask why I didn’t.
And let’s face it, God is an enabler. There is no need for alcohol on this planet but God saw fit to put it here and continues to see fit to put it here. Alcohol is not the problem. In fact, it can be good for you at the right dosage. Many over dose. That’s not the fault of alcohol, the Lord who put it here, the money that bought it or the donor of the money. Money is not the problem. The love of money (a money overdose so to speak) is the problem. God is fine with you being an enabler just like He is.
After many years, I have come down to this: When approached for money, I give all that is in my pocket. Is that easy? One day I had a $100 bill and a $20 bill in my pocket and was approached by a man as I was leaving a store. He said he needed money for food and, if I could spare it, a few bucks for a bed at the Salvation Army. I reached in my pocket and pulled out the $20 and handed it to him. He was amazed by my generosity and I was ashamed of my greed. God gave me the money and I had committed to give it to this man and had not done so.
I was scheduled to have my gall bladder removed in a few weeks and had three doctors telling me it was necessary. I asked this man if he would pray for my health. He readily agreed and wrapped his arms around me and began praying for my health. As he prayed I was more and more convicted about the $100 bill still in my pocket hidden from this man and in plain sight of my Lord. When he said “amen” I reached in my pocket and tried to give him the $100. At first he refused saying it was too much. I assured him that it was not my money but God’s and that God had instructed me to give it to him. He took the money and invited me to attend services with him at a local church the next Sunday. I declined as I am well connected and serve at my own congregation. The next week I had my preop appointment with my surgeon. He checked me over and said, “there is no way I will remove your gall bladder. I can only make you worse.” Me: “But you said…” Surgeon: “you have no symptoms to warrant a cholecystectomy. “
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