Loving the Helpless

"Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the LORD;
exult before him!
Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation."
Psalm 68:4-6

Surely I'm not the only one who is noticing the increase in various types of media covering world causes, great needs and promoting "doing good."

I think it's because people like to get behind a cause; because it feels "good" to help somebody. So people from all walks of life are going to soup kitchens, giving money to the homeless guy on the corner, giving their time to tutor kids and more. We see all these marathons raising money for cancer patients and people with incurable diseases. We see it all the time.

But as Christians, we must remember that we have something even BETTER to offer than money or food.

I'm not saying to not give to those in need, because I think it's a great thing. I just want to challenge us to go a little further.

The video above was really inspiring to me. Pastor Lee of Kindred Image is a great example of how we should be caring for the needy, and specifically in his case – the fatherless, the orphan.

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 1:26-27

What I love about Pastor Lee's vision and what he's doing for these orphans is that he's not only caring and providing for them, but he's trusting God to provide, and leaning on His wisdom to care for these children. And more than that, he's helping kids that were either destined to die or live a life of prostitution and emotional heartbreak, with a Christian mindset. He's sharing the Gospel with these kids, he's teaching them about Jesus and the salvation we have in Him, and he's a living example of God's love and adoption. You can read more about this ministry and Pastor Lee's story here.

'Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.' (Jesus said this to the woman at the well.)
John 4:14

When I saw that video, I was reminded that whenever we're helping the poor, fatherless or widows, we need to not only be meeting their physical needs, but the ultimate need of their soul primarily. What help are we if we only give them temporary relief from their situation? If we tell them about Jesus, we're sharing with them the GOOD NEWS of eternal relief from the struggles of life, hope for the future, and purpose for their lives.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:19-20

So the next time you find yourself in a situation where you're helping another, don't forget to ask if they have Jesus, and just maybe you will have the chance to bring the light of the Gospel into someone's very dark world! :)

Oh, and one more thing. My husband, Ben, has instilled this point of view in me, which is this: whenever you have the chance to lead someone to Christ, if you are able, you should take the responsibility to disciple that person to lead a life that is in line with Scripture. That means teaching them the importance of immediate baptism, a quiet time (spending time in God's Word everyday), memorizing Scripture, praying to Jesus and how to go about sharing their faith with other lost people!

(Don't forget that new Christians don't just fall into how they're supposed to live. They have to be taught spiritual disciplines or they will never grow into a mature believer. So the goal here is to not just make disciples, but to help them grow into mature believers who go and make more!)

May you be praying for the helpless and unloved, and for opportunities to make the ultimate difference in their lives,