Living Life by Design

I can’t begin to count the number of times I have been approached by someone asking for money or to buy something to support a cause. How do you know who’s actually telling the truth and who are simply trying to scam you? My anxiety jumps  every time someone approaches me. I bet yours does to.

So, how do we know what to do? Most ask for money and say they need it for food or gas. I’ve made the decision never to give money but when someone asks for food, I offer to feed them. For the countless times I’ve offered, only one person actually took me up on the offer. The individual was so incredibly grateful and I was blessed beyond words.

As Christian’s, to show love to the poor is not an optional extra. It is at the heart of the New Testament. It is evidence of living faith: ‘If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbour as yourself,” you are doing right’ (James 2:8). Your love is shown especially in what you do for the poor (vv.2–7), the hungry (v.15) and the needy (v.16). ‘Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time’ (v.13, MSG).

When someone approaches you and asks for money, it’s easy to justify your ‘No’ thinking, ‘they are just scammers’. It’s immensely more difficult to say, ‘I won’t give you money, but I can buy you food if you are hungry.”

The Apostle James tells us, ‘Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?’ (vv.15–16).

As believers in Jesus, we are each called to live differently. Our faith must be evidenced by our deeds. All the way through the New Testament, these two things go together. As do words and actions; proclamation and demonstration; the conversion of individuals and the transformation of society.

James writes, ‘What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if people claim to have faith but have no deeds? Can such faith save them?… Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead’ (vv.14,17): ‘Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-action is outrageous nonsense?’ (v.17, MSG). 

In other words, if your faith does not change how you live, it is not real faith at all. So, it doesn’t really matter whether the beggar  who approaches you is truthful or not. It’s not about them, and their motives. It’s all about you…