Have you ever seen a homeless person on the street corner with a sign asking for money? Have you worried about whether or not you should help this person or what they will really do with the money? Do you hold back dropping any money in that cup because you think they will only use it for drugs, alcohol or other purposes? Sometimes we want to help the needy but we question whether or not they deserve it.
We think they must have done something to get into this situation, right? Why are they jobless? Why are they homeless? What mistakes did they make and why can they not get themselves out of it? Maybe you have wanted to help someone but then you worried that they didn't deserve the help.
A true giving heart will understand that it is important to help the needy whether they deserve it or not.
Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes when a person makes a mistake so bad that they hit rock bottom, it takes someone believing in them or giving them a chance to help them get back on track.
Even the smallest gesture of kindest can be enough to help a person get back on track or to see a little light shine through the clouds.
When you feel called to help the needy, you should not allow the seeds of doubt to hinder you because you fear they may not deserve it.
If you're uncomfortable with one method of helping, such as giving out cash, you can find other methods of still helping the needy, such as through your actions or volunteer work.
This doesn't mean that you need to be taken advantage of.
We have seen this happen with organizations designed to help the needy.
They continue to give and give to the poor with no demands for progress.
They are concerned only with mercy which sets them up to be abused by those who are in so deep, they see no real way out.
If you do this consistently, you become an enabler to their problems.
But this doesn't mean you shouldn't help or that you should cut them off.
There are ways that you can help the needy, even if they appear to be only looking for handouts.
For example, if someone is asking for food money and you fear they may not use it for food, you could buy them or cook them a meal instead.
Instead of giving cash to an out of work person, you might help them to find a job.
This could be cleaning them up and helping them look good for an interview, helping them create a resume or spreading word of mouth referrals that the person is seeking employment.
The real way to help the needy lies in discernment.
You need to be able to discern the root of the problem.
While the main problem with the poor and needy involves lack of money, you need to help determine what is causing the lack of money.
This is the root of the problem and when you can help solve this, you can help the person help themselves to be independent and avoid the same money problems in the future.