Original, daily devotionals, inspiration and more from a fresh, "Hey! I never thought about it like that before" perspective.
Most of the good you do will go…
Unnoticed…
Unappreciated…
Unreciprocated…
Undeserved…
And, MISUNDERSTOOD!
Remember, you’ve got to be cool with that.
John 1:11 (NKJV)
11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
1 Corinthians 10:34 (NKJV)
33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
BE BLESSTIFIED!
Standing in the hot sun or cold winter air with a sign in your hand isn’t easy. The fact is that it can be humiliating begging others for help — it’s hard work! If I learned one thing from my experience doing homeless ministry is that many of the people on the street never thought they wold be there.
Many of those people had careers and families…then life happened. Others are mentally ill. And the fact always remains that it could happen to any of us.
Remember this…
Luke 16:19-21
19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table.
The beggar Lazarus – He probably got on people’s nerves just as beggars do today. People probably questioned how he lived and his choices. People probably wondered why his family didn’t help him. They most likely made excuses and justified ignoring him when Jesus clearly said, Give to them who ask and don’t turn them away…
Matthew 5:42 (NKJV)
42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
Jesus also told us to give looking for nothing in return…
Luke 6:35New King James Version (NKJV)
35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, 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.
Jesus knows there are scammers and liars. He knows there are those who will use what you give them on things they don’t need. He knows there are those who will try to take advantage of your kindness. Many people refuse to give money to people who beg because they’re afraid they will use it on alcohol, drugs, cigarettes or will waste it on something wicked. I feel that’s one application of the scripture…”And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold”(Matthew 24:12), because so many people can’t be trusted, the love that many people would ordinarily show has grown cold and withheld. We must therefore not withhold God’s love, but share it with wisdom.
If someone who’s begging is lying, that’s between them and God. God expects us to be obedient, compassionate, wise and plant seeds of His love. Purchase a meal for them. Buy them medicine. Pay for them to have shelter for a night or two, while letting them know that you are sharing the love of God. All it takes is the ‘crumbs that fall from your table’. Sacrifice the cost of a lunch, coffee for a week, sodas…whatever it is that you don’t necessarily need to help someone who begs from you. I guarantee you won’t give away enough to break your, but you can hold on to enough to do so. Some times God places these people in our paths for a reason…so they can have an encounter with Him through us. So you can ask them if they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So we can be the answer to their prayer to God for help. You can be someone’s confirmation that God hasn’t forgotten them. You could plant a seed in someone who witnesses your act of kindness….God always has a purpose for every encounter.
Remember that God warned us about turning away those who ask of us….be careful when you do because many times, just as in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus…Christians and the church are the RICH MAN.
BE BLESSTIFIED!
Years ago, I remember hearing, and reading Richard Pryor say after a trip to Africa, “ I ain’t never gonna call another Black man ni**a”. Now I’m in no way bringing this up to disparage Richard Pryor, but to make a point. He passionately made this statement and changed his behavior. He stopped using the N-WORD, which offends many people, but continued to use profane and vulgar words such as G-D, that offend God.
Colossians 3:8 (NKJV)
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
Ephesians 4:29 (NKJV)
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers
Ephesians 5: 3-4 (NKJV)
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks
There are many words that offend us. Some more than others. Which words offend you, in many cases has much to do with who you are. People CHOOSE to use the words for various reasons.
It’s interesting to me how many Christians are MORE offended by…
…than they are offended by other profane, offensive, vulgar or even blasphemous words that offend God. Some even seem completely comfortable using the GD-WORD.
Jesus made it very clear in Matthew 12..
Matthew 12:36 (NKJV)
36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
The words that we use and that offend us give great insight into what is in our hearts. Yes, some words are offensive racially, but God expects us to put Him even above our race.
Galatians 3:28 (NKJV)
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
What’s more important to you? What offends you? Or what offends God?
Let us be careful not to put what offends us above what offends God.
BE BLESSTIFIED!!!
BE BLESSTIFIED! 