The helpless are all around us.
They sit in Starbucks nursing a coffee. Share our table at the library. Live on our streets. Hang out in The Plaza. Most of them blend right in and you'd never know it. They're stuck.
Some of them are unemployed and lack the basic skills needed to find a job. Some are so sick they don't know they need a doctor. Or they're out of money and hungry, but still the shame is keeping them from asking for a handout. They're sleeping in their car.
We can't meet every need.
Our hope for the suffering and poor isn't rooted in our ability to meet their needs. There will always be more needs and needy people. We're here first and foremost to testify to the one who can, and does, and will one day fix everything. Jesus Christ.
We can meet one need.
Ever feel like you don't know what to do? You discern a need but lack the resources?
- Share the gospel. Let God make his appeal to them to be forgiven and reconciled. Not that alleviating a physical need is unimportant or unnecessary. Just keep everything in perspective. You have the one thing they need most.
- Ask God to use you to meet the need. What can you do? This might be the most difficult step because it will require personal sacrifices.
- Connect them with others who can help: our church, other ministries, and the many social services. Don't be quick to pass them along, but sometimes their needs are greater than our resources. We've even created a guide to finding them help. Download it onto your phone or stick a copy in your Bible. You never know.
