“Wise Aid”
By
Mike Wittmer
Encourage the disheartened, help the
weak, be patient with everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5:14
As I stopped my car at a red light, I
saw the same man standing beside the road again. He held a cardboard sign: Need
money for food. Anything helps. I looked away and sighed. Was I the kind of
person who ignored the needy?
Some people pretend to have needs but
are actually con artists. Others have legitimate needs but face difficulties
overcoming destructive habits. Social workers tell us it’s better to give money
to the aid ministries in our city. I swallowed hard and drove past. I felt bad,
but I may have acted wisely.
God commands us to “warn those who
are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak” (1
Thessalonians 5:14). To do this well we must know who belongs in which
category. If we warn a weak or disheartened person, we may break her spirit; if
we help an idle person, we may encourage laziness. Consequently, we help best
from up close, when we know the person well enough to know what he needs.
Has God burdened your heart to help
someone? Great! Now the work begins. Don’t assume you know what that person
needs. Ask her to share her story, and listen. Prayerfully give as seems wise
and not merely to feel better. When we truly aim “to do what is good for each
other,” we will more readily “be patient with everyone,” even when they stumble
(vv. 14–15).
When have others most helped you?
What did you learn about how best to help others?
Father, help me to help wisely, and
often.
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