7 REASONS IT’S A BLESSING TO BE APPROACHED BY A BEGGAR…

Jesus told His disciples that there will always be poor people…
Matthew 26:11 (NKJV)
¹¹For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.

How many times have you made eye contact with a poor person, a beggar, a homeless person, and you quickly looked away because you didn’t want to be bothered? You had enough money to help one of their immediate needs. Of course you couldn’t ‘save them’, but you could give them one meal…a pair of shoes…a room for one night.

Often we don’t help because we say they’re scam artists, or reason that they brought their situation on themselves and, yes we must use wisdom and discernment in how we give.

But, I do want to remind you though that God has given us the responsibility to showing kindness to those who are in need.

I even go as far to say that when someone in genuine need reaches out to you, that they are doing you a favor…they are giving you and opportunity.

Here are 7 reasons it’s really a blessing to have someone in need reach out to you…

THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE OBEDIENT

In Old and New Testaments, God has given us the instruction to help those who are in need. And, we don’t even have to wait for them to ask us. We simply have to see them or notice them…
Deuteronomy 15:7 (NKJV)
⁷“If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the ^[^a^]gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother,
Luke 6:35 (NKJV)
³⁵But love your enemies, do good, and lend, ^[^a^]hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
1 John 3:17 (NKJV)
¹⁷But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
Ephesians 4:28 (NKJV)
²⁸Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with hishands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

When someone asks you for help, they are giving you an opportunity to be obedient to God.

THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE GOD’S LOVE

Jesus expects us to love one another, just as He loves us. And, to demonstrate that love by sharing it… REAL LOVE ISN’T JUST STATED…IT’S DEMONSTRATED!

He then taught us that there’s no greater love than when we lay down our lives for others. Well, the fact is that YOU DON’T HAVE DIE TO LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE FOR SOMEONE…, When you sacrifice your time and money, you are giving up yourself. You can’t get time back, when you take the time to talk to someone, to pray with them and to help them you are giving back something you can’t get back. You are giving little moments of your life for others, just as Jesus has given His life for us.

THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THERE ARE STILL GOOD PEOPLE IN THE WORLD

How many times have you thought or heard that there are no more good people in the world? There are so many kind hearted people now that are allowing the conditions of the world to harden their hearts…

Matthew 24:12 (NKJV)

¹²And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

When you give to someone in need, you leave behind a beautiful example that there are still good people in the world. There are people who desperately need to know that to prevent their hearts from going cold.

It’s especially easy for someone who is desperately in need to feel this way. When you give to someone in need, you are leaving behind the example that there are still good people in the world.

THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE ANSWER TO A PRAYER

God has promised to answer our prayers…

John 14:13-14 (NKJV)

¹³And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴If you ^[^a^]ask anything in My name, I will do it.

There are countless poor people who wake up each morning asking God for help them. When you feel led to give to someone in need, to buy them a meal, to fulfill a need you may be a very tangible answer to a specific prayer. This just helps prove not only that God is real, but that He loves them and truly listens to them.

THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE TO GOD HIMSELF

This is beautiful. God loves us so much that He takes it personal when we give to those whom He loves. How would you feel if you had a small child who was lost and hungry, and some kind person saw them, helped them, fed them and returned them to you looking for absolutely nothing in return? That’s how God feels when we bless one of His children. But, He takes it one step further. He looks at it as though we are doing if for Him…

Matthew 25:40 (NKJV)

⁴⁰And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

When someone reaches out to you for help, they are giving you the opportunity to give directly to God Himself.

THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE BEHIND A GOOD TESTIMONY FOR ANYONE WHO WITNESSES

There are people who need the encouragement and inspiration of seeing others doing good. As much as we aren’t supposed to give and shout it to the world to bring glory to ourselves, we must also let our light shine so that others can have the example of what God expects of us…

Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)

¹⁶Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works andglorify your Father in heaven.

John 13:34-35 (NKJV)

³⁴A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.³⁵By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 7:3-4 (NKJV)
³His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. ⁴For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.”When someone asks you for help, they are giving you an awesome opportunity to let your light shine.

THE OPPORTUNITY TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF

Some people love to do ‘selfies’ while helping others. Others love to go to the mission and be charitable when television cameras are around. People do this because they want to bring attention to themselves. This is the wrong motivation. But, when you give sincerely from you heart and walk away feeling thankful for the opportunity, feeling good that you were obedient, happy to see someone else’s need met it makes you feel good…and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

So the next time that you help someone in need and they tell you thank you. You tell them, “No, thank you for the opportunity:-)

This may also bless you…

HAVE YOU TURNED AWAY LAZARUS?

BE BLESSTIFIED!