Direct Response

Luke 3: ¹⁰ So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”

¹¹ He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”

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“Who will help us visit the sick?” was the question. No one raised their hand, especially me. I mean the timing was all wrong. I had car trouble I had to handle and a huge project due and my family had some other needs. Maybe someone else can do it.

• There were times when I wanted organizations to handle support of people.
• There were times when I gave money to organizations so they could support other people.
• There were times when I felt organizations would take care of people when I became too busy.

Some earnest people asked John, “What shall we do then?” in response to his wake up message that attacked their reason for being in the wilderness to get baptized. John wanted them to be genuine in their service and he gave them only a couple of examples that would require a change of heart.

• GOD wants me to sometimes give directly to people instead of always giving to organizations.
• GOD wants me to sometimes serve people directly instead of serving a crowd.
• GOD wants me to sometimes meet an individual’s needs instead of depending on an organization to do it.

Directly responding to a specific person’s needs feels different. The timing is never right nor can I ever do enough. BUT GOD is pleased when I meet the needs of “that” person this day. HE gets excited when I look out for one of HIS children. GOD wants me to have responsibility.

• What specific person are you serving?
• Can you take some of you busy time to serve a person?
• Will you take some of your excess and give it to a specific person GOD leads you to give to?