“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40
“Let us discover ways to get in touch with the poor. One of the most damaging things affluence does is allow us to distance ourselves from the poor so we no longer see their pain. We then can create an illusionary world that prevents us from evaluating life in the light of “love of neighbor”… Let us give with glad generous hearts. Giving has a way of routing out the tough old miser within us. Even the poor need to know that they can give. Just the very act of letting go of money, or some other treasure, does something within us. It destroys the demon greed.”
Richard Foster in The Challenge of the Disciplined Life: Christian Reflections on Money, Sex, and Power (HarperOne: San Francisco, 1979) 35.
“Even the poor need to know that they can give.”
I shared with readers about Palmful of Maize, a vision GTP launched in Malawi in 2022. By way of an update, it’s already engaged the participation of 1,136,250 children to give. Those children have helped 10,474 starving people with compassionate care. Find other stats here.
Why mention that today? Needs about everywhere in the world.
God has resource people everywhere as well. He wants all of us to destroy the demon greed by doing what we can with what we have where we are. And when we do this for even the least significant people, we do it for Jesus.
I have learned that God does not just want me to give with a glad and generous heart.
He loves it when I encourage everyone I know to grasp life in this way. When I do, the hungry get fed. The hurting get a hand up. And in the process, he transforms misers into ministers. Join me in this work.
Or allow the deceitfulness of wealth to win and let your affluence destroy you. Strong words but they echo Jesus.
Later this week I head to Colombia to activate the project manager who will oversee Palmful of Coffee. Your giving to GTP spreads the gospel, advances accountability, and grows generosity in the hardest places.
Thanks for your partnership. Join the work in Colombia here.