Needy Others

God gives good gifts to us. In fact, every good gift comes from God (James 1:17).

We misuse God’s good gifts. The Bible actually has a word for the twisting of the good—“iniquity.” God does not prevent the squandering or evil use of his good gifts.

God continues to give to us despite our misuse of his good gifts. In fact, we are surrounded every day by the good gifts of God who provides all things for us to enjoy.

I cannot fathom this amazing grace of God though I experience it every day. I “wonder how he could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean” (from the hymn “I Stand Amazed in the Presence” by Charles Gabriel).

I have discovered this kind of undeserved love to be the greatest and most powerful force in my life. God sends his refreshing rain on the just and on the unjust, as Jesus said. This truth about God compels us to love our enemies and do good even to those who do evil toward us (Matthew 5:45). In fact, the good giving of God to unjust people is a core teaching of Christ and the Bible.

Sometimes I imagine myself a deserving recipient of God’s amazing grace, and I sense my own generosity withering like paper in a furnace of pride. Those in need around me I imagine as less deserving than myself. I find no good reason to transfer my hard-earned and well-deserved resources to those around me with such glaring moral failings.

I want to follow in the footsteps of the divine Giver, but I hesitate in fear that my own good gifts will be wasted or misused. Acts of charity sometimes appear to be counter-productive. How can I give in this environment of uncertainty and sin?

Love is tough as well as tender. All parents experience this truth. All human giving occurs from one needy person to the other. The needs of the giver may skew the giving so that it harms rather than helps. This is no fault of love. This is just more evidence of the caregiver’s limitations and needs.

The gift of good intention may be misused through the moral failings or limited understanding of the recipient. No caregiver can be absolutely certain that their expression of love will not be twisted for some evil purpose.

We do not escape this potential moral failure by giving to institutions. Individuals and institutions alike are susceptible to the temptations of greed and sloth.

I myself am comforted by the moral accountability of the recipients of charity. The giver of the gift is a moral partner with the recipient. I feel both sides of this responsibility as the pastor of my church. I will give an account on judgment day of my own generosity or lack thereof. I will also give an account of how I used the gifts of others.

The act of charity involves two parties, and each has their own unique opportunity and responsibility. Neither one can be held morally accountable for the other.

The closer the gift is to my own hand and eyes the more likely I am to evaluate correctly the impact of my gift. If I give my money where my hands are working, I know with some measure of comfort what my gift will do. We encourage our working volunteers to support with their money what they support with their time and energy.

Sometimes we feel compelled to respond to urgent needs far away. But we should always request—and even require—minimal financial accountability from those institutions we support including budgets, financial statements, and financial endorsement by watchdog groups (e.g., the seal of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability).

The loving gift is not minimized by asking hard questions about its use—it is affirmed and enlarged. Resources are limited. Therefore we are obliged to evaluate carefully the direction of our giving in order that we may do the most good with what we have to give.

May this holiday season find us generous of heart, active with helping hands, and wise in our loving gifts to those in need.