Each day we are place in situations, where we are called upon to perform acts of kindness. These acts of kindness, were brought to our attention through solicitation or observation and will/may bring relieve, comfort or make a difference in the life of an individual or a family. We are not expected to save the world and we are not expected to perform such kind deed to people who are better off than ourselves in the areas of their needs; however, we have an obligated to render help or assistance to those who were scourge with the unfortunate circumstance of being less fortunate than ourselves.
Because of the nature of the world wherein we live, many times, we are forced to evaluate the needs and the degree of the needs of those who solicit from us or those who we perceive to be in need. At times we will rather risk allowing a person with genuine needs to go hungry, in order to avoid giving our goods to one who pretend to be in need for profit.
The truth of the matter is, it is hard to distinguish from a person's appearance or from their physical attributes if he/she is a con artist or if he/she is a person with a genuine need, who should be helped. However; out attitude should be one of, I will rather be con by a pretender than to be denied the privilege, of rendering help to a person in need and in the process; relieving the suffering of one who will otherwise be made to go without. We have got to come to the understanding that it is not because of any special qualities that we have; why we are blessed with the position we are currently in. We must also remember, there are professors, doctors, lawyers, teachers, ministers, police officers, laborers etc. who have been taken off of their panicles success by circumstances and they were forced to join the community of the have not and the homeless. It is only by the grace of God, why most of us, are in the fortunate position (not homeless) we current hold, and all it takes is a change of or in circumstances to reverse our current status.
The question is; how would you want to be treated if the pain of hunger attacked you daily and you are place in the demeaning position where to solicit (panhandle) were your only or immediate recourse? Would you want to be scrutinized and judge because you lost your job and you are unable to afford a place to call your home? Would you like to be scorned and mocked because your means of support is no longer available to you and you are required to live off of the mercies of strangers? Would you want to be made to feel belittled if you had a mental break down, became seriously ill or sustained an injury and as a result you are unable to secure or hold steady employment to take care of your daily needs?
Jesus the only begotten of Jehovah knew and taught some things that we cannot seem to grasp: He said "ye have the poor with you always, and when-so-ever ye will ye may do them good". Luke 7: 14. No matter how rich, or powerful a nation is there will always be poor people, and no matter how wealthy an individual may be today the unpredictability of the future can deal him or her some events that can change his entire circumstances. History is littered with kings, nations, and individuals who have had the hands of time rearranged their entire world. They were moved from the castle of wealthy to the shack of poverty.
In 2009, the world saw many wealthy men and women who chose to take their own life rather than to walk the path of the poor. When the USA Stock Market crashed it send ripples internationally; these ripples caused similar crashes within the international financial institutions, thus changing the social and financial status of million of people world wide. In a literal a blink of an eye, life were rearranged and toppled. These series of events had lead many to asked, is being poor such a bad thing that it is better to be dead than to be poor? I do not know what were the circumstances that would have moved individuals to terminate their own life because he/she lost his/her earthly treasures but I do know, being poor is no walk in the park when you have lived an extravagant life.
Jehovah knew with the inception of sin many people will experience poverty in its varying degrees and it is with this in mind that he admonished all people including his faithful children to: “Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, “The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.” Deuteronomy 15:9-11.
Jehovah also saw it fit to institute the gleaning system, which was to ensure that in agricultural society the poor people were taken care of. He also warned the people through his prophets, of the consequence that were associated with the way they treat the poor and how they are viewed by and in heaven. Proverbs 14: 31 say He that oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker: but he that honors (Jehovah) him has mercy on the poor.
In Matthew 25: 44, Jesus speak of some of the tangible criterion he will use to judge the dept of our love for him. Fortunately or unfortunately; the basic criteria will be in the way in which we treat those who were less fortunate than we are/were or how we satisfy those basic needs of the people we come into contact with. He said I was hungry, sick, imprisoned, and naked and you did not attend to my needs. When we ask, lord; when were you sick, hungry, imprisoned or naked and we did not minister to your needs. Then Jesus replied in humble tone, as long as you did it not unto one of the lease of these my children you did it not unto me.
Let us make a strong commitment to our God and to ourselves; a commitment to honor Jehovah’s words and to treat those who are less fortunate than ourselves or and those who are in need with the dignity, love and respect that they deserve. It is important to understanding that the value of an individual is not measure by the persons accumulation of earthly possessions but the mere fact that he or she is a child of the living God. We must also bear in mind that the wind of change can blow at any time and change our circumstances for better or for worst; today for you tomorrow for me. It is said, the foot you intentionally mash today may be attached to the hands you are required to kiss tomorrow.
