Deuteronomy 22:1-4
It is important to help people who are in need. I have helped many. And yet, government entitlements often bother me. That was the case this particular day. I was in Save-A-Lot grocery, standing in line to check out. I had five or six items in my arms. In front of me was a lady with a grocery cart full of items. Most of the items were things that 1) I either could not afford, or 2) that were what I considered non-essential food items.
I inwardly fumed as I saw a packet of food stamps sticking out of her purse. As a pastor, my salary was low, and we were very careful in how we spent our money. It didn’t seem right. As I considered these things I noticed that her food stamps had fallen unnoticed to the floor. At that moment, my fuming turned to debate. Do I pick up the food stamps and give them to her? Do I ignore it and see what happens when she gets to the counter and can’t pay for all of her groceries? What should I do? The debate was short lived. The Holy Spirit stung my conscience. I didn’t want to grieve Him above all. Reaching down I picked up the food stamps and gave them to her explaining that she has just dropped them. The pain in the matter is that it is better to suffer what sometimes seems to be an injustice than it is to risk displeasing the One we love supremely. Helping others will not always be convenient, cost effective, or comfortable. As followers of Christ, however, we look to Him for His nod of approval as we endeavor to help others.
By Dr. Gayle Woods