The Necesities

Last week I wandered with a few youth group members around town handing out sack lunches to our local homeless population. And I had a total reality check. Now mind you, I'm not trying to play down handing out food to the homeless at all, a very wise missionary once told me that sometimes the quickest way to share the gospel is through someone's stomach. I agree, I can't focus on much of anything when I'm hungry. 

That being said, I handed out a few sack lunches to 3 homeless men sitting in a shopping center parking lot. They accepted the meal without hesitation but didn't stop there. One of them asks me, if he can have a Bible. I was struck down. Here I was, a youth pastor, caught...without a Bible. I told him that I would get one for him and luckily I knew of a place directly down the street that always had Bibles on hand.

The point is, humanitarian efforts and doing good deeds are awesome, you are being the hands and  feet of Christ...BUUUUUUT, do not loose sight of the great commission. It wasn't " go into the world and make sure that everyone has food and drink." It says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with youalways, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 26:19-20.

It didn't end there. One of the men pulled me aside and asked me if I would pray for him and his drug addiction. Some times God uses the most unlikely people to bring us to our knees in front of him.

So I end with this, a prayer.

Lord, thank you for your mercy and grace. Thank you for allowing me to be an instrument of your love. I pray that you will help me to remember to keep you at the forefront of all I do and to not be distracted by my own sense of righteousness.

Amen.