Spare a thought for beggars

It is an open secret that times are tough economically for the ordinary person. And life has become even harder for the poor and needy. If no crumbs are deliberately let to fall from the rich man’s table the poor and needy are going to be more afflicted with hunger than before the introduction of the United States dollar as our official currency. 
According to the provisions of Scripture the poor shall always be among us and we, as the church, have a holy obligation to show compassion towards them by giving them alms. God has a special place in His heart for the poor and needy but
He has given the able-bodied men and women in society the responsibility to look after them. God commands believers, “If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shall not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother” (Deuteronomy 15:7).
But this commandment to give food, clothes, shelter and money to the poor is not burdensome because it has a string of blessings attached. The Psalmist caught the revelation that giving to the poor is linked with divine blessings. So he declared in Psalms 41:1, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.” Thank God that the corporate world and individual philanthropists have now become aware of this growing responsibility and are taking the issue of donating to charity seriously.
The faithful Lord will prosper them for their kindness and liberality.
Believers should understand that so-me of the financial and spiritual breakthroughs they are praying and fasting for will never manifest until they learn to consider the poor around them.
Isaiah chapter 58 gives us hints on the fast which God accepts and showing compassion to the poor and needy is enjoined as a basic requirement.
True fasting and true religion invo-lves giving bread to the hungry, sheltering the homeless poor and clothing them (v.7). God is not asking you to sell all that you have and give to the poor but to do the best you can to bring them comfort and dignity.
But many are like the rich young ruler, they go away sorrowful every time you counsel them to sow a seed for the manifestation of their miracle. They do not understand the principle of first releasing the small thing in their hand so God can release the big thing in His hand toward them. The wise man of God, Mike Murdock, teaches that what you make happen for others God will make it happen for you.
This is the reason why the Lord said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. And the poor around us form a genuine, God-approved receiving end.
I know that some believers want to give to the poor but they are discouraged by their behaviour. Some buy beer with the money, others cigarettes. Never mind their behaviour, just give as an act of obedience to God’s command and leave the rest in His hands. What they will do with your alms will never stop God from rewarding you.
However, we must be careful though in choosing which poor people to help. Many people who are able-bodied are choosing the beggar concept of life. They always seek to get; they save their own money and meet their needs using money borrowed from others, they always expect someone to pay for their fuel, bus fare or meals and they consistently send ‘please call me back messages’ even when they have money to juice up. Instead of doing something to earn money they stand alongside streets begging.
 Even in churches some people are playing beggars. They prey on the kindness of Christians. Asking for help once in a while is alright but to live the life of a beggar when you can do something to earn a living is very wrong.
 Living off other people’s hard-earned income is bad. Apostle Paul said that he that will not work should not eat (see 2 Thessalonians 3:10). While it is quite encouraging to see people who physically impaired; the lame, blind, deaf etc busy selling airtime and other wares in the city it is quite disturbing to see a physically whole person begging just because things are tough.
Things are tough for everyone so everyone should become tough for things to improve. How do you become tough? Learn to live a quiet life, mind your own business, pay your tithes no matter what and regularly give to genuine needy people.
This kind of discipline will cause you to move from a beggar concept of life that centres on getting all the time to God’s kind of life that seeks to give all the times. And that is a good life since it is more blessed to give than to receive.
– Pastor Mairos Mub-vumbi is the founding pastor of Hope In Christ Ministries. You can send your prayer request to him on 0772889766 or mairos78@yahoo.co.uk