Challenging Times

“Give to him, and don’t have a stingy heart when you give, and because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you do.”Deut. 15:10

There is no longer any sense in trying to fool ourselves. America has fallen on financially tough times. And while I could spend the next 500 words exploring the reasons we have arrived at such a sad state—greed, self-reliance, materialism, and so on—I have decided (or rather God has placed it on my heart) to look at what our response as believers should be. Historians will diagnose the past. Our challenge is to meet the needs of today.

A first reaction to this thought could lead to overly spiritualizing our situation. We could call special prayer meetings. We could write notes telling those who have lost their jobs that we are sympathizing. We could give money to other organizations that specialize in feeding and clothing those in need. And all of these are good places for our response to begin. But they are certainly not where it should end or our efforts could amount to little more than saying, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well” to those whose cupboards are bare (James 2:16).

It is most certainly right to begin with prayer. After all, it is only through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and with His power that we can hope to affect so great a crisis. But then we must act on the wisdom He gives—beginning with those who are in our congregations. “If there is a poor person among you, one of your brothers within any of your gates in the land the Lord your God is giving you, you must not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him enough for whatever need he has” (Deut. 15:7-8).

Who is our brother or sister? What is the land the Lord has given us? Who within our gates is hurting, hungry, and cold right now? Each of us can answer these questions with the Holy Spirit’s help if we will truly listen. A neighbor whose house is in foreclosure, a family member who is struggling to buy groceries this week, a church member who needs help finding a job, or a ministry that is barely surviving. I trust that the Lord knows where we can help and will provide what’s needed to do whatever He directs. I just pray that we will do something. And a lot of little somethings can add up to making a big difference.

It is not the government’s job to take care of those God has placed within our gates. It is our responsibility. Come on, people of God. Let’s accept the challenge. Let’s pull together in order to reach out. Now is the time to let Christ’s light shine with blinding brilliance. Now is the time to walk through the door of opportunity that is opening into our communities. We can make a difference in the lives of those God has positioned in our circles of influence. Let’s pray asking God to soften our hard hearts and to open our tight fists. Then let’s do whatever He shows us. Our time to act is now.

Make us willing, Lord! Amen.

By Lisa Huddleston

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