You have seen them. You have ignored them. You may have given them some change or you may have given them food. You may get frustrated, sit behind the wheel in judgment, felt unsafe and locked the doors, or smiled at them and even say something pleasant to them. What do you do when you see people begging on the corners?
Do you say, “I work hard for my money and all they do is sit or stand on a corner and beg for other’s hard-earned money.” “If they would get off their backsides and look for a job, they wouldn’t have to do this! Hmph!” “They can go to the mission. There are a lot of services for them, so they don’t have to beg.” “They don’t really want a job; they are lazy.” “They leave their trash, make their dog sit endlessly all day in one spot, they intimidate people and it’s JUST NOT RIGHT! They need to go somewhere else!” Hmph again!
There are many reasons why an individual ends up on the streets. We cannot imagine what has happened to them in their past, nor do we really seem to care. The amount of true mental illness in our society today is staggering. Alcoholism, drug addiction, backgrounds of great abuses, etc. can set someone up for life on the streets, beginning when they are kids. Do we care? WWJD? Hmmmmm.
Now, let’s look at how we sometimes do the same thing with our Lord God. Most of our prayers are petitioning (or begging) for the things we want.
- “Please God, give me the finances to buy that gorgeous car!”
- “Help my husband to act better to me (when I treat him like dirt)!”
- “Please help me find a job (when I don’t get out there and interview, prepared a resume, etc.). “
- “God, help me to get an A on my real estate exam (when I have barely studied for it).”
Do you see how we are asking God for a “handout?” We just want Him to drop something in our lap, but are not willing to “put feet to our prayers” nor “do the work to make it work.” We are lazy, but feel entitled, as His children, to God’s best. Sorry, God doesn’t work like that. He wants us to be strong, resourceful, responsible, and also compassionate and giving.
Ben Franklin once said, “God helps those who help themselves.” Even though this is not from the Bible, it has an important message. Another quote is, “God can’t steer a parked car.” Think about that for a moment. Is life passing you by as you wait and wait and wait for HIM to do something?
Instead of asking God for a “handout”, maybe ask Him to show you which steps to take to get unstuck in your circumstances and move forward in His plan for you.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart and reverence for the Lord, as working for the Lord, and not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Col. 3:23,24
#chainednomore #hope #work #prayer #success