Be compassionate with cash

Exodus 22: ²⁵ “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest. ²⁶ If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it by sunset, ²⁷ because that cloak is the only covering your neighbor has. What else can they sleep in? When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

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It seemed like there was an extra dose of homeless this particular day.  I thought about it and was convinced that maybe I should tell a person about CHRIST instead of giving them cash. I stepped up on my pedestal and began talking down to this lowly thing of a person. “Uh huh, yeah, um hmm” were the patronizing replies to my rants.

“There” I thought to myself. I had pushed on him the greatest gift he could ever accept. I’m sure both of us were rewarded that day and I didn’t have to give him money!

• The love of money causes me to treat people like business transactions.
• The love of money strikes fear in me that I will lose it or have it stolen.
• The love of money makes me decide to keep it rather than give it away.

Money matters make me miserly. In other words the more money I get the more I try to protect the wealth and I lose my compassion for people. I dream of reasons they are poor or homeless and chalk it up to some bad choice, or a mental disease or an addiction rationalizing why this person doesn’t need my cash. BUT GOD has compassion.

• GOD has given plenty to me so I may give to others.
• GOD wants me to get over my fear of losing stuff and be compassionate to HIS people.
• GOD desires me to see needy people instead of “hiding” from them in order to keep my stuff.

I keep imagining standing in front of GOD, having HIM display my gadgets, trinkets and bobbles, then showing me all the people I passed by who could have used a meal that day. Yes, GOD wants me to spread the gift of salvation but if love and compassion are not with the message I’m wasting my time.

• Is there someone you need to show compassion to?
• Is fear holding you back from giving to that person?
• Can you show compassion to someone today?
• Won’t you ask GOD who you are supposed to help and “how” HE wants you to help them?