Help the weak, dont blame them.

Driving by a homeless man on the corner holding a sign "Anything helps" or "Hungry" or "Need gas money", I am usually immediately flooded with compassionate, but I also get this great sense of frustration. Why don't these people just get a job and work? What could I do to help them because I will not give them money? Is another energy bar and water bottle really serving them? How do I help them? My mom has always preached to me about the ridiculousness of our government's enabling system and a friend recently expressed his frustration. He showed me a passage in scripture "If a man will not work, he shall not eat..." 2 Thes 3:10, sooo naturally I had to investigate. This is what I found:

I read the 2 Thessalonians passage, but we often overlook the part we (you and I) are called to. It says "Now such persons (the idle) we (the followers of Christ) COMMAND and ENCOURAGE in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. As for YOU (follower of Christ), do not grow weary in doing good." 2 Thes 3:12-13. We can be so very quick to point out the "lazy" and the "wicked", but we are also called to live as examples AMONG those people. We are to stay away from falling into their idleness, but it is our job as men and women of Christ to serve those people by taking the time out of our lives to teach them how to live properly. This is service. We must take the time to serve others through example and spending time with them, rather than just constantly pointing at them and telling them they need to get a job and work. We have to serve people, we have to be patient with people. I know its frustrating, but we have to take responsibility for each other too! If we are truly One Body in Christ, we have to nourish one another and seek to do good with even those who might appear lazy and those who we have absolutely nothing in common with. Jesus came for to heal the sick and reached out to the most lowly of people, the lepers, the tax collectors...we have to be willing to love even those we may not think deserve to be loved, by teaching them, not enabling them.

"And we urge you brothers, admonish (call out) the idle/undisciplined, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to EVERYONE." 1 Thes 5:14-15

Instead of blaming and pointing fingers and letting frustration plant bitterness and resentment towards these people, may we get up and go as Christ has called us to serve. Who are we if we are not making an effort daily, even weekly to help those who cannot help themselves? We are all part of one body, just like when you sprain your ankle you take time to nourish it and help it heal every day until it becomes well again...we have to take time to nourish and help our brothers and sisters to heal.