If our eyes haven't been opened to the evil in the world through hearing the stories of those who return from such a place as Haiti, maybe it would be better if God allowed us to really suffer and know what it is like not to have enough to make it through life comfortably. The majority of people that see themselves as needy here in the U.S.A. don't have a lot they could complain about if they saw the way the poor people of Haiti have to live.
Tell me what you think about the way the United States helps the poor today. Should we be more like Haiti and let people suffer? Should we help people more and do what we can because God has blessed us with more to give? How should we respond? More like the U.S.A. or more like Haiti?
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Helping the needy can be a wonderful and sometimes very rewarding act but we get too caught up in how we think people will use the gift. We give to give not to command, but I also believe that at some point if you are in need, help yourself. Get out of the whole you are in and put yourself on God's path. Your journey will be difficult but could help others in similar situations.
I have worked in a church now for the past few years, and in both churches that I have been apart of, they have a food pantry for people who can't afford food. And in the current church where I'm at, we have a Clothing Ministry to go with the Food Pantry. We give these things to people. They are allowed to get food a certain number of times a year and they are allowed to get clothes so many times a year.
With that being said, I still often ask the question, "What does it mean to HELP people?" I see the people who are truly in need of assistance. Those that are going through a rough time and need someone to reach out to them and help them get back on their feet. Those are the ones that I'm more than thankful to help. But then I see others who continually abuse the system and use the HELP that people are trying to offer as their means to make it through life.
At what point are we helping people verses inhibiting them from trying to do something for themselves?
Though he did not address church benevolence funds, food pantries, etc., I realized this same 'tragedy' is common in the way they are usually administered. Thus, some don't get the real help they need and others even abuse the well-intended 'help' offered by a collection of good people.
Then, I was struck between the eyes. Each of us need to 'help' our neighbors; those we know and can share in their need personally. This is a problem, however, when we are so disconnected from those who are truly in need. My neighbors are not the same as your neighbors. If I help mine and you help yours, we are better equipped to know what they really need and also keeps them from becoming too dependent on help because even they would realize there is a real limit to the help we could offer. Most would not want to abuse someone who is expressing God's love through time and resources. Still, even in this individual approach to helping, we need to use discernment to determine if we are truly helping.
Anyway, you asked.....