“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done” (Proverbs 19:17).

There are times when we talk ourselves out of helping others because we think they’re not deserving of our help. Or maybe we simply assume they’ll squander our generosity on something they shouldn’t.

Have you ever given money to someone on the street and wondered if it was later spent unwisely? Maybe on cigarettes or a lottery ticket? Or perhaps you’ve given someone a helping hand and they later criticized you unfairly?

I’m not condoning bad decisions. But I’m pretty sure there are times when God hasn’t been too happy about how I’ve handled some things either!

Daisy Luther reflects on her own situation and has a helpful thought on this topic:

“Even at our rock bottom financially, we donated one can of spaghetti sauce and a package of noodles to the food bank every week, which hopefully provided one warm, comforting meal for someone who needed it. My girls chose those sauces and noodles with the care of a Cordon Bleu chef picking ingredients. It isn’t necessary to debate whether people are truly in need or just milking the system. That is a subject for them and their consciences. Just give when you can. You are responsible for your intentions, not theirs.”*

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Notes:

–The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on March 15, 2021.

—If you don’t have a church home, you’re invited to Westminster online on Sundays at 10:01am EST. Click here to sign up for a free, weekly email that takes you right to our YouTube page when we go live. This Sunday we pray, sing, and I’ll be teaching about the End Times from Luke 21.

–*Daisy Luther, The Ultimate Guide to Frugal Living: Save Money, Plan Ahead, Pay Off Debt & Live Well (New York: Racehorse Publishing, 2020), 3.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.