Generally during this time of year our minds and hearts lean toward helping those less fortunate, or at least we should. However, being of service to those who lack many of the basic necessities in life should never be seasonal. Their situations and needs just don’t come around during the months of November and December, therefore, if we are blessed it should be our desire to help anytime a need is placed before us.

As I was considering what the content of this blog should be since we are just days away from the official start of the holiday season, the scripture passages in St. Matthew 25: 40, 45 came to mind so clearly. “. . . Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” “. . . Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.” If you do not look deeper into the context of these two verses, you would mistakenly come to the conclusion that Jesus is showing respecter of persons. Such is not the case. Jesus’ reference to the “least of these” indicates those who are in need or have experienced hardship. It is rare to find a person who has never found himself in one of those circumstances. And many times, our pride has kept us from seeking help or even allowing the temporary circumstance to be discovered. But thanks be to God, as the saying goes “trouble don’t last always”. Some way, somehow help finds us!

As followers of Christ, His disciples of today, we should desire to be the “help” that finds those in need. With the conditions of the world which are dramatically affecting our everyday lives it is not hard to find someone in need. It really is not even hard to figure out what to do for those in need with the ever-increasing price of food, gas, utilities – you name it! The cost of living seemingly is going up weekly.

One day my granddaughter and I were out shopping when we noticed a family in the parking lot of a local Walmart. Immediately my granddaughter’s heart strings felt a tug. She asked if we could give them something. I told her I did not have enough cash with me to really amount to much. So, I drove over to the mother and asked if it would help if I went into Walmart to buy them some food and bring it back to them. I asked what kinds of things the children liked, and she told me. As we parked and headed into the store, my granddaughter asked if I saw that the lady had a new looking iPhone. I told her I hadn’t noticed that. She then asked if they are in fact homeless and without food how could she afford an iPhone, and they appeared to be driving a late model van. I told her that is not for us to judge or search for the reason why. I went on to explain that this may have just recently happened to this family and this is all she knew to do as a mother trying to take care of her family. She readily accepted my explanation and understood that if God allowed us to see this mother with several young children, then we were doing what He would want us to do. When we do our part, the rest is up to Him. To be a blessing to others it is not important to know the details of their situation, who they are, or why they are in need . . . the question that deserves the answer is WHAT is it that we are supposed to do?!

Source: New feed