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QUESTION: My husband and I are questioning the best way to handle in a decent Christian and Biblical manner panhandlers when we see them outside of restaurants, stores, in the parking lots, etc. asking for money. We are in a struggle as to is it best to give them a little money or not to? just offer to buy them a meal? something else? do nothing? Thanks for any advice.....
Tough issue and one we have struggled with at times also. There’s a few things we’ve learned. One is that we are not called to trust a stranger, only to help as we can. Usually we do not have a way of knowing the truth of their situation or have the time (right then) to even try to find out. We have been burned enough times to know (as you do) that our help is not always helpful because sometimes we are being deceived or our assistance is being used for unhealthy purposes. So, we normally do not just give out cash anymore. We have on occasion offered to take them for a meal. Frankly, only once have we been taken up on that where the person was actually hungry and ate the meal. We’ve tried to support ministries that offer help more regularly. And we try to be prepared to direct someone to such a ministry. Even here at Grace we have people come in looking for cash or something they can turn into cash. We have learned to be very careful and now refer them to shelters etc., which are better equipped and more experienced at assessing the need and offering real help. We had discovered that many of the same people were making the rounds to all the churches.
Also, I think situations like these are good opportunities to learn how to distinguish real guilt from false, and even from manipulation. None of us wants to fall into the trap of using money to quiet guilt, especially false guilt.
May God give you unity about this as a couple and help you discern what is best.
Answered by pastor Dave Desforge
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