Too Much Stuff

[Ramez5]

Whoever is kind to the poor is lending to the LORD—
the benefit of his gift will return to him in abundance. Proverbs 19:17
The Lord has been giving me ample opportunity to respond to this.. and to search my heart. After doing some more research on the topic of 'the poor ' in scripture, one thing I've learned is that the Lord wants us to give as much for our sake as for others.

The word lend in the Hebrew describes us as being 'entwined with God'.. in partnership with Him. Amazing!

Lends -to twine, i.e. (by implication) to unite, to remain; also to borrow (as a form of obligation) or (caus.) To lend -- abide with, borrow(-er), cleave, join (self), lend(-er).

The story of the sheep and the goats pretty much settles the matter for me. Our giving to the needy is meant to be done in proportion to our resources.. but Paul commended those who gave sacrificially even more.

The command from Christ that 'If you have two coats,give one away" doesn't leave much 'wiggle' room for any of us. Giving to the poor has so many benefits!

a. we help others... and show Christ's love to a lost world and to the saints.
b. It helps us love others.. where our treasure is so is our heart.
c. It keeps us from loving or becoming attached to our 'stuff'.
d. It gives us treasure in Heaven. Phil. 4:17 Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.
e. And we demonstrate our love for the Lord when we give to Him in that way.. which giving to the poor is giving to Him.

But this verse was especially striking when you read it with Amos 6 as a background. Amos chapter 6 made me so uneasy! I couldn't help but squirm a bit.. it sounded way too much like normal life for most of us.

We have so much--in fact most of us have too much! I couldn't help but think about our homes, our furniture, our lotions, and music and entertainment, our food and drink. The most telling part about Amos 6 is the first and last verse...and this explains why the luxurious living was so bad..

Woe to you who are complacent in Zion,
and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, Amos 6:1.....
You lie on beds adorned with ivory
and lounge on your couches.
You dine on choice lambs
and fattened calves.
You strum away on your harps like David
and improvise on musical instruments.
You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions,
but you do not grieve over the affliction of Joseph. (i.e. the troubles of others)

When our lifestyle and our comfort numb us or deafen us to the needs of the larger body of Christ, or the world at large, we’ve lost sight of the bigger picture of what it means to be a genuine Christian.

Dear Lord,

Please.. open my eyes to those in need around me. Whether it's a friend, a family member, or a homeless person on the street, open my heart and my hands.. and my purse. Help me to see YOU sitting there and help me not to be so blinded by the log of selfishness in my eye that I can only see the speck of 'how they got into that state'. Help me to be ever more sensitive to the state, both spiritual and physical, of our body all over the world.. and the poor wherever they may be both within our church and without. Amen

[Mary Naeem]

Thanks Ramez

[walaa farouk]

Thanks Ramez