Helping Beggars

[Joshnyams]

Every time I pass the streets all I meet are beggars. Some have got wounds and need help. They are many of them suffering but each time I pass them I feel guilty if I don’t give them any money . Am i wrong by doing this because I can’t help all of them? :hands:

Deuteronomy 15:10 Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. 11 Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbour in your land.’
<o> </o>

 

[Boanerges]

My friend, for every one that has needs there are two that are just begging to support bad habits. Be led of the Holy Spirit in your giving lest you find yourself buying drugs and alcohol for an addict. When you feel the Spirit leading you to give then do so, if not then simply pray for that person. Conviction is of God but guilt is generally not.

 

[Crossseeker]

God says to all, in Proverbs 19:17, "He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

Jesus said, "Give to him who asks of you."

If God leads you to give to another, by all means give, but pay more attention to how God wants to lead you in every thing...be practicing The Prescence of God by being quiet and still as much as possible (Psalms46:10) so that you can hear God's Still Small Voice SILENTLY and PEACEFULLY prompting you to do certain things.

God does not make this big list and then expect you to run in your own strength to accomplish these things.

What God is after is this...your true willingness and flexibility to be truly and gladly and wholeheartedly and forever AVAILABLE for Him to use as a clean vessel...IF He so choses...even though God doesn't need any of us to save any one. And who knows...God may never choose to use us...but just set us aside to bless us so that we can be a blessing to others. And many times, God choses not to use us in His Service,
because we are so full of evil self-will and evil self-love...that if He used us to do anything for him...the evil self-love in us would DECEIVE us and cause us to try to steal God's Glory of what Christ and Christ alone forever caused us to do.

A famous confederate general of the Civil War, Stonewall Jackson.
One prayer that He prayed, was Lord, please let me NEVER steal
Thy Glory.

And it is said, that he would never drink a glass of water, without repeating, another prayer, Lord, thank you for The Water Of Life.

God says to all, in Jude 1:24,25,
"24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To 25the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."

 

[Kallie]

2 Thessalonians 3:10, “For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.”

So u get beggars that is too lazy to work and begging is easier than work,those beggars i dont give anything,but when i see someone begging that i can see is a cripple or cant work,them i would help

 

[Hekuran]

Every time I pass the streets all I meet are beggars. Some have got wounds and need help. They are many of them suffering but each time I pass them I feel guilty if I don’t give them any money. Am i wrong by doing this because I can’t help all of them? :hands:

No. You cannot help all the beggars because you are human with finite resources. You have only 24 hours in a day and a certain amount of wealth to share around.

Certainly we have an obligation to the poor and needy. The Bible is absolutely packed with God's concern for the poor.

I think the answer is to take this prayerfully to God: you have to balance your responsibilities with your conscience, and that takes wisdom.

Practically, think about how you can give so that it is most effective - is it better to give people money to buy food that meets their immediate needs, or is it better to invest in empowerment projects that can help lift people out of poverty permanently?

You probably have assets other than money to give - time, skills, space, expertise, influence...

Maybe think about giving in a controlled way. Prayerfully work out how much you need to live on, and how much you can give to others. Then stick to it. This needn't be a legalistic or formal approach, rather a way to respond wisely to overwhelming need, and so that you can be confident that you have a good conscience before God.

I am writing these down as ideas, not instructions.

One other thing is that those of us who are in the richer countries such as the UK and USA can insist that our governments write off the debts owed by poorer countries such as Kenya.

May God bless you

 

[JHM]

Joshnyams, GOD bless you for being the person you are. If you give what you can then what you are doing is right; and in due course I am sure you will be rewarded for it. The following is from a literal translation of the "Peshitta" by Jeremy C. Springfield.

James 2 : 13 - 26
13 For judgment shall be without compassion to them that have not performed compassion. By mercy you shall rise above judgment.
14 What does it profit, my brothers, if a man says, "For me is trust," and there is no deeds for him? How is his trust able to make him live?
15 And if a brother or a sister be naked, and lacking provision that day,
16 and a man from you speaks to them, "Go in peace - be warm and satisfied," and does not give to them what is obligatory for the body, what does it profit?
17 Thus also the trust that is without the deeds is dead in and of itself.
18 For a man among you speaks, "For you is trust, and for me is deeds." Show me your trust that is without deeds, and I, I will show you my trust from my deeds.
19 You trust that, "Alaha is one." You do good - even the destructive spirits trust, and they tremble!
20 Yet do you desire to recognize, O frail son of man, that trust that is without deeds is dead?
21 Our father Avraham - was he not righteous from deeds, for he offered Eeys’khaq his son upon the altar?
22 You behold that his trust was an aide for his deeds, and from his deeds his trust was perfected,
23 and so was completed the Scripture that spoke: "Avraham trusted in Alaha, and He reckoned it to him for righteousness," and, "the friend of Alaha" he was called.
24 So you can behold that it is from the deeds a son of man is righteous, and not from the trust in and of itself.
25 Thus also Rakhav the *****, was she not from the deeds made righteous - of her reception of the explorers, and sending them forth by another way?
26 So as the body that is without the spirit is dead, thus also the trust that is without the deeds is dead.

 

[AudreyNicole]

I agree with Boanerges. And i have a perfect example of this.

I always felt bad when I would see people begging, too, and felt like I had some kind of duty to help them. But as Boanerges stated, you could be just helping support their bad habits. Well the other day, I was buying gas, and there was a man hanging around the gas station asking for money. He didn't look too poor- wasn't very unkempt or rough- so it seemed as though maybe he was trying to change his life possibly. Anyway afterfilling up, the machine wouldn't print the receipt so I had to go inside to get it, and inside I saw the begger. And as I was standing in line he was in front of me and I watched as he used the money he had "begged" to buy tobacco.

It was funny because earlier that day I had read this post. And after witnessing that I don't think I will ever give money to a beggar unless I feel like God is calling me to help them. Otherwise, the best we can do is pray.

 

[Brother Mike]

beggers.............

Boanerges and Crosseeker get the noble Prize here!!!!!!

I am not opposed to giving. I am opposed to disobedience to God.

Job 36:11 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

You can't serve God and stay poor. If you continue to obey and serve God, but have trouble getting your needs meet, then you better check you life and get right with God.

If you do a study, most beggars choose to live that life style. Some even have hordes of cash sitting in a bank somewhere. It is a sickness that causes them to choose this life style. It's not because they are poor. This is why all the beggar programs have a hard time. They find it's not poverty, but their perception of things.

Its the same with people that Horde junk in their house, or collect cats. Something is wrong spiritually somewhere, and throwing money at them won't fix it.

I can not support someone who is disobedient and enable that person to stay disobedient. If I enable that person to live the way they want, I am not doing them any favors.

Man is never the source. If your looking at me to supply your needs, your looking at the wrong person. As it was mentioned, we can all be billionaires but it will run out. Only God can truly satisfy someone in Life and in needs.

Jesus Is Lord

 

[Hekuran]

Boanerges and Crosseeker get the noble Prize here!!!!!!

I am not opposed to giving. I am opposed to disobedience to God.

Job 36:11 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

That jars horribly with the Biblical perspectives on poverty. The Bible never, never, never entertains any excuse whatsoever for the rich to overlook the needs of the poor.

Read the gospels again to understand Jesus' attitude to poverty.

Matthew 25:44-45
Mark 10:21-27
Luke 11:37-42
Luke 16:19-26

Matthew 25:44-45
Mark 10:21-27
Luke 11:37-42
Luke 16:19-26

 

[Brother Mike]

The rich

Hekuran I am not sure what you consider rich. I am far from broke, but only God can supply someone's need.

I gave to CAM's just a few weeks ago which feed those that don't have food, I tithe faithfully every time I get money, and give I don't know how many thousands this year along to other Brothers and Sisters in Christ that have need. We normally give until we are out. God has to bring more in, and he will.

My point was, is that I will not enable someone to live the way they want, and stay the same. I use to be broke, very broke. Doing as God tells you, and sowing into the things of God has made me not broke. It's called being obedient. Everyone does not have to be broke, and I have no issues sustaining them as they grow and learn.

However, even if we all just bring in a few million dollars a year, it's not enough. So, we listen to the Holy Spirit, and put the money in places as He directs, and as God blesses. God knows what will work.

People don't need money, they need Jesus. Money will not permanently solve anything. I would rather teach people how to be obedient to God and make money. Not just feed them for a day or so. They soon will be hungry again, and there is so much more we can give them.

Jesus Is Lord.

 

[Hekuran]

Agreed.

If anyone refuses to give to people who are begging because they are committed to more effective ways of alleviating poverty (and there are), then that is noble.

If we do not give because we do not care then we are falling short of the values of the Kingdom of God.

 

[stephen]

Every time I pass the streets all I meet are beggars. Some have got wounds and need help. They are many of them suffering but each time I pass them I feel guilty if I don’t give them any money . Am i wrong by doing this because I can’t help all of them? :hands:

Deuteronomy 15:10 Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. 11 Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbour in your land.’
<o> </o>

Challenging thought and question.

It would be wrong to press a point here I feel, for we are all so different. The guidence of God is required, and is possible without fear of embarrassment

Jesus Himself said "The poor we always have with us" Indeed.....and more than ever in this our day. Such riches enjoyed....such poverty endured..... worldwide.

Our visiting African speaker only last Sunday 22nd a.m. from the Nairobi Bible College told of landing in a British airport to find that he had no English currency, to phone a friend to come and pick him up.

He had to ask a beggar nearby to give him 20 pence to make a telephone call. HaHa. Who ever heard of such a thing. But God works in such ways beyond our thought or imagination.

I do give to the road side beggar at times. Othertimes I do not have any money to give so I cannot help.

I give as a Christian. What happens to my gift is not my concern. We hear of professional beggars today. But I cannot make the judgement so I give as unto ther Lord, as I do in my church.

 

[JHM]

I do give to the road side beggar at times. Othertimes I do not have any money to give so I cannot help.

I give as a Christian. What happens to my gift is not my concern. We hear of professional beggars today. But I cannot make the judgement so I give as unto the Lord, as I do in my church.

Agree with Stephen on this.