In Jeffrey’s Bay, I can not leave the house without encountering someone in need. I don’t think I have ever walked to the coffee shop or to the beach without passing several beggars— children and adults. In South Africa, they’re called ‘bergies’.
But I just call ‘em people.
Every time I encounter someone asking me for money or someone just obviously in need, the Lord brings the most obvious Scripture to mind: “Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.”
Seems pretty straightforward to me. But of course, we all have our handy list of excuses for why Jesus wasn’t talking to me when He said that.
And I get it. Sometimes it is more harmful and more degrading to just throw money at someone who is on the street. Sometimes you are reaffirming their identity as a burden when you just quickly remedy the issue by giving them some change and a crumpled bill.
But there are other options, too. You could get to know them. Listen to them. Hear their stories. Ask them what they need prayer for. Ask them if there is anything you can do to bless them today.
I have been accused of being naive for making friends with people on the street— and again, I get it. I know that the people that say this are people who are looking out for my well being and don’t want to see me get taken advantage of by someone whose intentions are unknown.
But that’s the thing— when did we as believers start worrying so much about getting “taken advantage of”? I mean, aren’t we kinda supposed to be taken advantage of? “You received without pay, give without pay”?
We take advantage of God’s abundant goodness and give nothing in return. Besides, God is the giver of our finances. Don’t we think that if we give to the needy, He will supply every need of ours?
I know that some people’s intentions are impure, but I have decided that the judgement part is God’s department. My job is to give. His is the rest.
I am not saying this mentality applies to every situation. I am just saying when we pass the homeless or the poor, maybe instead of being paralyzed by an internal debate that ultimately leads to us ignoring the person out of shame, we can acknowledge them. We can treat them with dignity and respect and kindness, the way you would treat literally anyone else. And if you have something to give, trust them with it. It is not our responsibility to determine their angle.
If nothing else, by giving up your treasures on this earth, you are storing up treasures for yourself in Heaven with Jesus. And in your sacrificial giving to those with bad intentions, you will know what it feels like to get taken advantage of, like Jesus. And by sharing in His suffering, “you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed.”
Friends, this is a hard lesson and absolutely no one likes hearing it. In stopping to acknowledge someone begging on the street, I am not only giving up my hard-earned money, but I am giving up my time and my energy. But I can tell you that the times I have done this, I have made real friends in the most unexpected places. More than that, I have encountered Jesus in profound, wonderful ways. If you love Jesus and want to be where He is, spend time with the poor and needy. That is where His heart is, and you will encounter Him there.
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These past few weeks have been some of the best ever. I have gotten to share Jesus with teammates and strangers, young and old, rich and poor.
I have learned a lot, laughed a lot, surfed a lot, and worked a lot.
The more I learn about God, the more I see how much I need to learn. He has humbled me in new ways and brought me into deeper communion with Him than ever before. He is softening my heart and bringing me to a complete end of myself so that He can display to me the grace and sovereignty He has actually had all along.
What a privilege it is to plant seeds in the minds and hearts of these young South Africans. They are hungry and so willing to give it all for Jesus.
What a privilege to intimately know this Jesus and to be growing in intimacy every single day!
His Love is so simple and so profoundly, incomprehensibly deep. It wrecks me every single day.
Prayer Requests:
- That the seeds my team and I have planted here in the hearts of the students would be tended by other believers, and that God would do the growth.
- That God would start to give me clarity and direction about my future, because life after the Race is a reality and I am just now realizing it. (They always said this would happen month 5.)
- For my team and I to have open eyes and ears for everything that the Lord wants to speak to us/use us for in the last month (WHAT) we have in Jeffrey’s.
- My brother and sister-in-law are having a baby! Prayers for a safe delivery and peace for them both.
Thank you all for supporting me and praying for me. I could never do this alone. Thank you for trusting the Jesus that lives inside of me.
So much love.
