This morning as my sister was dropping me off at the bus station a man approached our car. He was asking for money. He claimed
he needed a few dollars to buy a bus ticket and immediately I started to look through my wallet for some money. I was thinking maybe $5. As the man saw me open my wallet he began to press for more money and more money. I ended up giving him $20.
As soon as the man walked away, I turned to my sister and said “I wish I hadn’t given him $20.” I had a sinking feeling that
he wasn’t going to use the money for a bus ticket and was just taking advantage of some generosity. I walked into the bus station and continued to feel regret about the situation. I wondered… would God have wanted me to give my money even knowing that this
man was likely being dishonest? Would God approve of my feelings of regret? Naturally, I began to dig for that answer when I got on the bus. I wasn’t able to find a cut and dry answer to my question in the Bible but I was lead to some conclusions which the
Holy Spirit continued to confirm as I reflected some more.
When approached by a panhandler or homeless person, many Christians go through this same dilemma. I’ve been here before, but
I’ll admit this is the first time that I’ve offered financial assistance and regretted it. There are so many verses in the bible that I could point us to, but one that stood out to me was the classic scripture found in the book of Matthew:
“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison
and visit you?’”
“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
When I pass homeless people or panhandlers I often wonder about their intentions. I think “Well… this person could be scamming me, or this person could be a representation of Jesus who I am called to serve.” Today, I have realized that way of thinking is
entirely wrong. Yes, these people could absolutely be scam artists. They could definitely be in genuine need of my money, but no matter what ALL of these people are representations of Jesus. Not just the “good” ones. If I could live in this situation all over
again, I probably would still give the guy $20. I digress, this is not the correct solution in every situation. As a matter of fact I’m not sure that there ever is a correct solution. Sometimes it is better to buy a meal, give food or water, or simply pray
for someone. Sometimes it is appropriate to give them money.
I am praying for this man. I hope that he does use the money honorably, but even if he doesn’t I pray that he may come closer to the Lord as a result of this interaction. I pray that he would see this generosity as a gift from God. I pray for myself. I pray
that I would no longer live with regret over this. The Lord calls us to be “cheerful givers.” He doesn’t specify that we should only give if the person seems okay. So, I am trying to humbly step into that role and I hope that you will join me.
