“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 5:3

The prevailing sentiment regarding wealth and the wealthy has at its core the belief that the more material goods a person possesses, the more me-centered is that individual.

However, watching a recent television program shattered that perspective for me. The man at the podium, his eyes hidden by the bill of a baseball cap, blonde hair skimming his shoulder, and a casual jacket partially zipped, read from one of the books he has authored. While not denying the hardships of life on the streets, for well over an hour he described his preferred lifestyle as a homeless person living on the streets of a major U.S. city for almost fifteen years. He did not berate society for placing him in such a position; rather, he touted the advantages of his chosen way of living. Nearly every sentence alluded to the “freedom” he experienced; he chose when, how, when and where to eat, sleep, and bathe.  He discussed the friendships he made with store and restaurant owners, police officers, and fellow wanderers, but those friendships lasted only if these people met his emotional needs for understanding and empathy.

Today millions of people find themselves homeless due to the vagaries of our current economy, and we in the West should be red-faced with shame when we see young children around the world scavenging garbage heaps to find sufficient resources to feed themselves and their families.

But poverty, whether the grinding, relentless sort that dehumanizes, or the more temporary kind that gnaws at one’s self-esteem, does not eliminate me-ism. All of us must guard against the belief that when we possess less, we are somehow more holy while those who enjoy abundance are lower on the spiritual ladder.

“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7

Help me, Lord, to relate to you and others not on the basis of material possessions. May my vision increasingly be like yours.

by Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Homeless

Giving

Redefining Success

Success to Significance

The post All About Me appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Psalm 82:4

It was my first mission trip and one behind the Iron Curtain before it came down. We arrived in Zagreb, Yugoslavia late at night where we were scheduled to spend the night with a local pastor. We entered the home and were treated as welcomed guests. Then there was a knock at the door.

The police had arrived and told the pastor that he was not allowed to have guests in his home. The three of us were escorted to the sidewalk with our luggage. It was dark, and we were homeless and cold.

While we were thinking we were going to spend the night on the street, the pastor was working and finally found a hotel that charged an exorbitant rate where we were able to spend the night. It was not only a surreal experience, but an education of what it is like to live in a communist country.

We could do nothing but pray and pray we did. It was just the beginning of a three-country mission in communist countries. We had many scary experiences, and we prayed. I remember one night in Poland when I stood before an audience in a church in Poland giving my testimony when officers carrying machine guns walked in. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I prayed. Prayer is a power of our faith, connecting us with our maker and the line is never busy and we are never out of range. Prayer is communication with God. We do this by praising Him, confessing our sin before Him, thanking Him and asking Him for our needs and desires. Prayer is communion with our Creator. When we pray, we engage in loving fellowship with the Maker of heaven and earth.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24)

Where we were, access to freedom had been cut off, but access to God is never cut off whether in a communist country or around our home dining table. The Prayer Hand is an easy way to remember five essential aspects of prayer: confession, petition, intercession, thanksgiving and praise. Use The Prayer Hand resource to walk through each of these five purposes.

No matter what we face, God is always there, so we should spend each day in prayer as we look upward more than we look outward.

by John Grant
used by permission

John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

FURTHER READING

Unto the Least of These

Touching the Untouchable

Friend of the Poor

The post Homeless appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“He will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” Matthew 25:45

He caught my eye as I watched him with his little basket walking the aisles of the small rural grocery store. He was old, bent over, disheveled and not well dressed.

Suddenly he was beside me and we were both looking at the same items on the shelf in front of us.

There were a number of white bags of various products. I found the bag of grits I was looking for, but couldn’t help but notice him holding a white bag while closely studying it. I put my grits in the cart and started to walk away when he looked up and said “excuse me sir,” as he extended the bag towards me. Pointing to the label, he said “Does this say sugar.” When I said yes, he thanked me profusely.

As I drove away, I couldn’t get him out of my mind. It was hard to fathom that there was someone shopping alongside me who couldn’t read the word sugar. While I thought about all I have, I thought of that little old man who couldn’t read. I wondered what kind of house he lived in and what he had done throughout the many years of his life.

And, I thought about how God made him and loves him just like he loves and made me. Why was I so blessed with an education? More importantly what defines my responsibility to reach out to people like that, those less fortunate than me?

Jesus said, “…whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” The Bible makes it clear that our Lord identifies himself in an inextricable way with the poor. Jesus told his disciples that when they feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, provide shelter for the homeless, clothe the naked, nurse the sick, and visit the imprisoned, they are actually doing these things for him.

There is no debate among Christians about whether we have an obligation to serve God. However, some Christians seem to show less conviction when it comes to our obligation to serve the poor. Scripture, however, eliminates any ambiguity.

There are hurting and hungry people right around us. Have you thought lately about the provisions in your pantry, and those people who have none in theirs?

Do you really want to be blessed? Try focusing on giving more than getting and especially focus on giving to those who have the least.

One who lets slip by the opportunity to serve another misses one of the richest experiences life has to offer.

Question: Have there been opportunities to serve others lately that you’ve missed? Good news: God is gracious enough to forgive you and offer you more chances to serve!

by John Grant
Used by Permission

John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

The post Unto the Least of These appeared first on Thoughts About God.