Sometimes following Jesus' teachings is hard.
“Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” (Matthew 5:42 NIV).
I've never enjoyed coming up to an intersection and seeing a panhandler. In that instant I want to ignore them. I try to avoid eye contact. Then I get curious and I read their sign and judge their appearance.
I ask myself:
“Are they really in need?”
“Will they waste my money on drugs?”
“Why can’t they get a job?!”
I never ask…. What does Jesus want me to do?
That’s because I already know… The Way of Jesus is hard. It calls me to give to the one who asks. I’m still working on this.
[Then I came to the realization that I ask God for things all the time too. What if Jesus saw me as a panhandler?]
The Way of Jesus calls us to be a better version of ourselves. How can you become better in Jesus?