Episode 706: When Helping Hurts
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Does motivation matter when it comes to helping others? Supplying food, donating money, and providing humanitarian assistance to those in need is an absolute good, isn’t it?
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What good is it if a man gain all the humanitarian aid in the world but loses his own soul…
There have been many fed people who did not go to Heaven.
So then what’s the point…
That said, I believe blessing people with things like food, clothes, etc. can have a massive impact on them in terms of showing them the love of Jesus and softening their hearts to the Gospel.
And although I think the following Scripture refers specifically to already brothers and sisters in Christ… (James 2:15-16) does come to mind.
An amazing thing is that according to Matthew 6:25-33 if you become a child of God (by being born again) God will actually supernaturally provide what you need!
And although I do sometimes mention this when I share the Gospel I do believe that people should ultimately come to Jesus for the sake of eternal life and even more so Jesus Himself…
One of the Scriptures that do puzzle me to be honest is Luke 6:30a: “Give to every man that asketh of thee…”
I have read various commentaries on this verse and have asked for other believers’ opinions but I’m still struggling with understanding/applying this verse.
While I would argue that it is not refering to anything that would harm the person you are giving to… I always wonder wonder how much giving would be enough… because if we are honest there are countless people “asking” all over the world (it just takes a quick 5 minute internet search to see this)…
Would a perfect application of this verse be to live on the barest of minimums to stay alive… and give most of what you have away in sacrificial love…?
I know giving the Gospel is like the best we can give and better than food and we should give it (much more than we currently are!)… but I can not ignore Luke 6:30 or James 2:15-16 either…
I don’t want to pass my struggle with this of as legalism either because Jesus did say “if you love me… you will obey my commandemnts”…
What are your opinions on Luke 6:30a “give to every man that asketh of thee” guys? 😀
Shalom Dirk. When someone asks me help, or money or ride or anything (Luke.6:30), I listen the Holy Spirit for God’s perfect will in the moment; how does He want me to help this person, if there is anything I can do; what would He want me to give? And sometimes it is something totally else than the things which the person asks for. For example in Acts 3, Peter and John were asked money by a cripple beggar. What did they give him? They gave him Jesus! “Such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.” (Acts.3:6-7) God sees the whole picture and every man’s every need, and someone asking me a penny, is an opportunity for me to give them much more – the Kingdom of God. In Luke 12:13-21 a man asked help from Jesus, and Jesus saw his heart and gave him the help that he needed: a rebuke and warning of the sin of covetousness. God bless you!