"Not Today"

Probably, like me, you have gone through the grocery store line and, as the checker is ringing up your week's (exorbitant!) grocery tab, he or she asks you, "Would you like to donate a dollar to....?"  What is your customary response?

Or, what about those incessant envelopes that arrive in your mailbox every, single day?  Do you simply toss them?  Do you open them to take out the "free stamp" or the "free nickel" or the "free address labels" and pitch the rest into "the circular file"?

These repeated scenarios came to my mind this morning as I contemplated today's verses:

Do not withhold good from those who need it, when you have the ability to help.  Do not say to your neighbor, "Go! Return tomorrow and I will give it," when you have it with you at the time. 

Proverbs 3:27-28 (NET)

There is certainly no shortage of "worthy causes" available to us as charitable people.  Honestly, I wish I could donate to more of them than I actually do.  It is tricky, deciding to whom we should give and then...how much?

Just how generous does the Lord expect us to be?
I really wrestle with this.

Without doubt, we are the "richest country in the world".  A person who is sustained in America by the government, in the form of monthly subsistence check, is many times more "wealthy" than the vast majority of the rest of the world.

In light of this, what is God's will for us toward our fellow man? How do we choose, as individuals, to apply this proverb to our lives?

The fleshly, carnal "old-man" response is this:
"I worked hard for what I've got.  I earned it.  Therefore, I can spend it however I want."
And, then, most go on to lavish it on themselves with abandon, with no thought for the things of God, the spread of the gospel.

Never a regular tithe.  Rarely investing in God's kingdom.

Surely, having money can be a curse.

Of course, today's verses are not talking only about money.  They could also be applied to helping someone with your labor, your talents, your time ... any of your resources.

We have a lovely basement apartment in our home.  I am blogging from it right now.  Many times, we have made it available for ministry - - - visiting missionaries, visitors relocating to serve in a ministry here, church discipleship weekends, etc.  And, we have received some criticism:
"You would allow those perfect strangers into your home??!!"

I don't have all the answers on this topic.  As said earlier, I wrestle with it.  For sure, I'll be asked to give my Savior an account of how I spent the resources He provided me in this life.  There's no doubt in my mind about that.

But, here's how I have some modicum of peace on this subject:

1.  I try to be wise and prudent about how I allocate my time, talents and more tangible assets.
a.  There are times we are asked to give when it would be unsafe or unhealthy for us to do so.  An addict, for example, will come back to you again and again and again.  But, to use this verse to give to him or her would only be deepening the addiction.
b.  How you give will guarantee further solicitation via that same method.  For example, I never, ever give money to those folks who stand at 4-way stops to solicit.  The reason?  I think it is dangerous and annoying to snarl traffic in such a manner.  And ... I know that when folks DO give via that method, it merely makes those soliciting inclined to use that method more and more.
c.  Charities that spread the gospel take the pre-imminence.  Here's an example:  There are charities which feed the hungry.  Then, there are those which feed the hungry and also tell them the good news of Jesus Christ, feeding spiritual food as well!  Those are the ones I choose to support.

2.  When I feel God speaking to me about giving, I don't ignore His voice.
There are times when God speaks to His children directly about something He wants them to give. When getting those "PM"s from Him, I take them seriously.

3.   Realize that He owns it all anyway.

You have what you have because He has let you have it.  

I think here of the story of Job, who was a very wealthy man of his day, wealthy in terms of goods and in terms of blessings (10 beautiful children!) . For His own glory, God stripped Job down to the studs, taking away everything he had except for the breath that sustained him and a handful of questionable advisors (including a harpy of a wife!)
So...."the Lord gives, and He takes away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord!"  (Job 1:21)
Since He owns all our "possessions" anyway, it would behoove us all to strive to honor Him with them.

It's ok to say "Not today!" when asked for something.
But, we had better be darned sure we have God's ok on keeping our fist closed.