Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So, when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:1-4
I make a living from serving the needy. Those struggling with addictions, those with a criminal history, those suffering with mental illness and those that are homeless are all among those that I call my friends. When I read Jesus’s words in this passage I wonder if I among the hypocrites he talks about? While I don’t remember actually using a trumpet to declare my work I certainly have used social media, direct mail and opportunities to speak to tell others what I am trying to do. So today I risk being a hypocrite.
I examine my heart and I realize that my motive matters. I don’t do this for the money. I was offered a job paying more for less stressful work just a few years ago. I don’t do it for the fame and glory. Very few people who serve the homeless day to day become celebrities. I don’t do it in an attempt to appease God or earn salvation. The Bible seems clear on the point that doesn’t work anyway. My motive?
Many years ago, now I committed myself to loving the least of these. When I made that commitment, I did not realize that what I had seen as the least was actually the greater of these. While all have suffered through some type of trauma, many have addictions and criminal histories, they also all have something to give. They provide wisdom, humor, perspective, and hard work. They have much to offer our community, but they are most often discounted. Most government programs value them at about $950 a month. When I meet them, I know these men and women I know that they have been told in numerous ways that they are hardly worth even that much by family, social workers and others in the community. I tell them about our Heavenly Father who is willing to give them Egypt for their ransom, Seba in Cush in exchange for them. The same Heavenly Father who gave His only son for them. These men and women have great value. My motive is love.
While I won’t be announcing my efforts with trumpets, I do have a deep hope for great outcomes for our guests. Those outcomes look like becoming a person of character, a follower of Jesus, a full-time job, restoration with family, paying their own rent or mortgage and so much more. In essence I want to see these men and women move from being liabilities to our community to becoming assets. In the meantime I will simply love them where they are at, speaking the truth in love and telling them about Jesus.
It is not always easy to love these men and women. Some will lie, steal and cheat and make all sorts of false accusations. Others will hurt others and then make excuses. Many have been in and out of the mission countless times. I wonder if this is the time.
If I was going to break up a large boulder with a sledgehammer and it took 100 swings to do it which swing actually succeeded? Swing 100 gets the glory but swing 100 was useless without the other 99. When they come to GRM I don’t know which swing they are on. Life is also chipping away at their hardened hearts. I rejoice when I get to be swing 100 but I also rejoice if I am just moving them closer to a noticeable life change.
Well maybe I am not really a hypocrite to promote our program, but I will continue to evaluate my heart to make sure that stays true. In the meantime, I will brag on the men and women who have decided that today is the day where they will live a new life of purpose.
