Dead Presidents Don't Always Solve Things
Posted by:
Bible Blogger on
February 19, 2007 at
5:39PM EST
When you go through times of financial struggle it's a natural tendency
to want to pull within yourself and your family. You give your tithe
but when it comes to giving up anything else your money says in your
wallet to take care of your family's needs. You want to give and you
want to help but the funds just aren't there to do it.
I can relate to that situation because it seems sometimes my bank
account doesn't match my heart. I want to be able to help pay for the
repairs to the car of a single mom in our church but I barely cover my
bills as is. I help when I can and give where I can but sometimes
it's just not in the bank.
Then one night about a year ago I read this verse from James it opened up to me in a whole new way.
"If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and
one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without
giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." - James 2:15-17 (ESV)
I realized that the focus on money when it comes to giving really isn't
the picture we need to keep in mind as believers. Sure, there are
times where money is the only real way to help, but that shouldn't be
the only focus we have when it comes to giving our life to God. Stop
for a minute and think of all the ways you could give to God without
actually taking cash out of your pocket and I think you'll be surprised.
Here's an example. The verse talks about someone being poorly clothed
or lacking food. Think of your neighborhood around you. Is there
someone who is wearing old clothing with holes in it? Is there someone
who goes to the kitchen cabinet and finds nothing in it?
What if you went to your closet and went through your clothes to find
things you never wear? I'd be willing to guess that you could take
half the clothes out of your closet right now and burn them in a
bonfire (with marshmallows to roast...I'm not an ogre here) and you
will find that you won't miss them at all. Do you really wear all your
clothes before you do laundry and wear items a second time?
Now...instead of burning them...take the clothes and put them in a bag
for the family that's struggling to make ends meet. I know many single
parents that would appreciate getting a good quality set of used
clothing for their children because the cost of childrens clothing
increases daily.
Another example involves a family that's in need of food. Say you have
a single mother in your church with four kids. She goes through more
groceries in a week than the cast of American Idol. She often waits in
line once a week at the food pantry but sometimes that still doesn't
get the job done for her. How much of an impact you could have on
this woman's life if you went through your pantry and gave her just one
of each of the items that have been sitting on the shelf for the last
two months?
You can live without one extra can of mini ravioli. Trust me.
I know it's easy to give money and not actually take the extra step to
collect the clothes, bag them up and take them over to the family who
needs it. It's easier to give a gift card to Wal*Mart than it is to
pick through the items in your pantry and drive over to the family who
is hungry. Still, it's clear that God calls us to do more than just be
generous with our finances. The simple action of taking that extra
step can do so much more to help not only fulfill needs of someone but
also lift their spirit to know someone viewed them as important. How
much better do you see life when you feel important to someone else?
Take some time today and think about ways you can give beyond money.
