To Help or Not to Help?

Almost every week we typically get one or more calls at the church from people who are looking for help. Much of our benevolence funding is directed through House of Neighborly Services because they have a much better infrastructure (efficient and effective) to support people in need. But every now and then we will get a call from someone in need that it seems that God would have us, as a church, reach out to them and help them directly.

I must confess, that for me, I can have a somewhat cynical view sometimes of people asking for help. I don't always trust that people are so much in need of help but instead are looking for an easy way out. And honestly, I don't know if that is a good or a bad thing. It might be discernment or it might just be a plain and simple lack of trust and faith. And so I typically end up in a "wrestling match" with God. And I ask Him questions like:

Is this someone that You have sent to us specifically for help?
Is this person conning me or are they in need of real help?
Will helping this person actually hurt them in the long run because helping them will just enable a continuance of harmful habits and patterns in their life?

Anyway, long story short, someone called the church yesterday looking for some help and seemed to be genuine and in need of a place to stay for a few nights. It seemed that they had worked through the proper channels to look for help but every service they had contacted was already maxed out and so was unable to assist them. However, they had found a couple of other churches that had been willing to help them.

So after a "wrestling match" with God, it seemed like God would want our church to help this family out (a husband and wife with 2 small children). And so we put them up for a couple of nights in a motel here in Loveland.

I hope this was the right thing to do. It seemed like it was. Be praying for this family. I do know this, they experienced the love of God whether they realize it or not. Be praying that their "God encounter" would bear eternal fruit. Also be praying for us a church during these difficult economic time as people will be needing more and more help. Pray that God would give us the wisdom and discernment to help those in need in the right way and at the right time.

Isaiah 55:10-11 (NLT)
¹⁰ "The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.
¹¹ It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

I trust that God was at work through His church yesterday and will be again today.