How often do you think about the poor and less fortunate? Personally, I confess that I don’t think about them all that much. The truth is that if we don’t see them, we likely won’t think about them; “out of sight out of mind”. But walking closely with God often means that we, as believers, should be proactive about the things of God, even if the problem isn’t staring us in the face. Proverbs 14:31 says:
“He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”
I believe most believers would be quick to say that they do not oppress the poor. But how many of us can say that we are kind to the needy? Proverbs assures us that if we are, we will be honoring God. So, I encourage you not to let yourself get so wrapped up in the daily responsibilities of your life that you forget about the things that honor God. Being kind to the needy is one such way. But most of us are not likely to stumble upon a beggar or someone in dire financial need. We may have to actually seek them out.
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Proverbs tells us that “whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” Once while I was out running errands, I saw a beggar outside of a store I was approaching. I decided that after I’d purchased what I needed, I’d give him a little cash on the way back to my car. As I was waiting in the checkout line I looked outside of the window and observed a very young man, probably a college student, stop what he was doing as he made a bee-line to the needy man. He gave him money and then went on his way. It really touched me to see someone so proactive that even as they were preoccupied with what they were doing, they decided to break away from their activity to help someone in need. Unfortunately, when I left the store, the homeless man was gone. I’d missed my opportunity to honor God, but that young college student did not. I encourage you to be proactive, to not miss opportunities and to honor God in any way that you can. Being kind to the needy is one such way.
