Last Sunday my church started handing out cardboard boxes for us to fill up with a grocery checklist of food necessities for the poor. We gave the ready-to-deliver “Food Paks” to Children’s Hunger Fund so that they could respond to needs in the Los Angeles community down near Grace Community Church, as well as across America and around the world. As the instructions on the booklet told us, this is just one of many ways to help children and families in need, all in response to what Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

The verse printed on the outside of the box was Psalm 145:13-16 :

“The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”

For more information about how you can help CHF, visit ChildrensHungerFund.org.

Another comment I overheard that night, ”I just knew they’d come!” came from a smiling middle-aged man to his friend as we stopped at his street, making our announcement about the free blankets and hot drinks. More highlights: The woman who we gave a baby’s blanket to because a kind young mom from my work had donated it; the man who special-requested a sleeping bag that we were able to provide for after one was generously donated by Matt’s coworker; the enthusiastic responses from three ladies I work with who want to come along next time we go. One lady down the hall mentioned checking if the local Starbuck’s stores would consider each donating one of the large catering containers for us to give out on a cold night. It gets me fired up to see other people coming on board to a beneficial cause. Beneficial not only to the recipients of the gifts, but sometimes much more to the giver. Interesting how that works.

A lot of amazing things happen when you put together something like this and invite people to participate. I’m not one to force my beliefs on others, and I know that can certainly turn into a prideful excuse for not speaking up about an issue when I know I should, but when I exercise the God-given ability and motivation to do something out of the ordinary, I suddenly find that people have genuine questions, to which I have the opportunity and obligation to respond. One of the simplest responses I’ve been able to use in this case is just to explain that the homeless guy on the street, even the drug addict or the prostitute, is a picture of who I am in front of a holy God, who would still be perfectly justified if he had never reached out to help me.

And my response to those who have questions can all go back to the joy and hope that is within me, that no one can take away. One of the exciting points about 1 Peter 3:15, when talking about honoring Jesus Christ by “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you,” is the assumption that people are actually going to ask questions. The most likely way you’re going to have people ask questions is if you’re different, and that had better be in a good way, not some obnoxious, personal preference issue, but I’d rather not go into those specifics here. A quick side note about the Apostle Peter’s charge in 3:15 is to notice that he cautions the believer to “do it with gentleness and respect,” which far too many Christians completely miss. I think it was Tim Chaddick of Reality LA in Hollywood that was suggesting how one of the biggest ways people come to Christianity is by what they saw and wanted in the life of a Christian they knew; ironically that happens to also be the biggest reason people reject Christianity, after observing hypocrisy in the life of someone claiming to be a Christian. And yet of course there is no formula for convincing people to become a Christian, because the Bible repeatedly nails down the truth that God does the work in someone’s heart, even though the believer may have the honor of verbally explaining it as they live out Christianity with their actions. I could say or do all I want, or give the strongest possible intellectual defense for Christianity, and that is beneficial in the right context, but it’s certainly not enough to change someone’s heart. Christians are to go do the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20, but success for the believer, thankfully, does not depend on the audience’s response to the message.  A Christian does what the Bible calls them to do, faithfully living it out as a way of life, then the end result, whatever it may be, is left up to God, who has his reasons in all that he does and allows. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.” (Isaiah 55:8).

Last year I started with Three Angels Relief to sponsor a child’s education at the orphanage in Haiti, and this year I’m adding Charlie’s Lunch Ministries, which provides food worldwide after a 5-year old disabled kid made it a point to give his lunch away. I’m only giving a couple bucks a month, so don’t hold me up on a high platform for this. But do take a minute to read up on either of those organizations if you’re curious. I’m excited to do this for a couple reasons, and I’ve come to see that the Christian attitude of giving is so far superior to a warm and fuzzy confirmation of feeling good about myself. It’s bigger than that. Maybe the missionary who spoke in my church yesterday, Peter DeSoto, put it best when he was talking about the people down in El Salvador serving the community by building a water pipeline in unity with their pastor to provide clean water to residents where it’s desperately needed. “It’s not really a sacrifice. What you give up is so little compared to what you gain.” …And this is coming from a guy who went down to serve the people, got shot in the neck by a gunman, recovered in the hospital and went back despite his vocal cords not working the same after the bullet’s damage to his throat. 

So if you like this idea about giving, the biggest compliment you can pay is to imitate it on your own, or make up something similar and stick to it. Talk or write about it too, if you feel like that’s appropriate in your circumstance. Notice I blended the financially giving aspect with the physically serving aspect, because I think they go hand in hand. And if you can only do one or the other due to things you’ve committed yourself to or the high standard of living you signed up for, then maybe it’s something you can’t change until those things are first changed (IF possible; I’m not in favor of you neglecting family needs!). In Mark 12:41-44 I’m reminded that this little goal is actually pathetic because I’m still just giving out of my extra instead of giving all I have, as in that example Jesus praises the widow for what she did. And hey, if your local church is in need of the money to help the poor, certainly give help them out instead of just any organization.

Someday hopefully I learn how to prioritize both giving and serving better than I do now. I’m trying to remember who I heard speak a couple years ago that had the personal goal of increasing his percentage of financial giving each year, not just upping the dollar amount when the paycheck got fatter. That’s radical. 

This is going to be awesome. I love living this stuff out.