Are you your brothers(sisters) keeper?

The plight of the homeless and underprivileged is more prevalent today than ever before. It's a subject no one wants to touch...the church, the community and the government. They're not going anywhere, so we had better deal with it...God's way! I wrote this post last year for Veteran's Day and decided to reuse it for my friend Joi's "7 Day Mini Blog Challenge Party" topic...."Controversial Post".

“Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? Unless the Lord had been my help, My soul would soon have settled in silence.” Psalm 94: 16-17.

  

If we as the Body won’t stand for those who are suffering, those who can’t fight for themselves, those who are impoverished…then who will? Listen, I’m not condemning the Body, for I too am a part of it; but we must all admit that somewhere along the way…we
sort of lost some of our compassion. Oh you’ve heard it before…”let THEM take care of themselves”, “it’s MY money and if I don’t want to give it to the poor, then why should I?” or “they got themselves into this mess, let them get themselves out of it”. 

When Jesus separates the sheep (those who showed compassion) and the goats (those who didn’t show compassion) and told the sheep to “come you blessed of My father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”…why?  Because He said…”when you did it for one of the least of these (the hungry, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned), then you did it for Me”. It doesn’t get any clearer than that folks! We’ll never get around it. If we don’t see about and care for those less fortunate…Jesus WILL put you in the category of a goat!  He said to those who didn’t have compassion (the goats), “depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels”. In other words…those who took care of the poor, went to Heaven and those who didn’t take care of the poor…well you know.

Wowee!! 

Don’t believe me? Read Matthew 25:31-46. As my husband would say…”RED LETTERS BABY”. While you’re at it…read 1Timothy 6:17-19. In a nutshell…”you’re going to have to be GENEROUS at heart in order to make heaven”. And no… we can’t do one and not the other, He said to do them ALL. Listen, we can get caught up in the affairs of this country and this world…but we mustn’t get it twisted!

We can look holy on the outside and say all the right things, but if we’re not demonstrating the love of Christ, then we’re falling very short my friend and we’re considered an unprofitable servant! If you can pass by a person who is suffering and not hurt for them, I question whether you have the heart of Christ. Remember believers, God blesses US to be a blessing to others, not to hoard up for ourselves. Oh, I know we’ve been taught differently. We’ve been taught “what’s mine is mine”, but nevertheless, we’re commanded to do it His way!

 

If this post convicts you…GREAT! My purpose and intent have been accomplished. 

If it doesn’t start with us my fellow believers; then who?  We are who Christ intended to use to carry out Luke 4:18-19, but we won’t be able to if we lack compassion. 

What are we teaching our children when we walk past, ignore or degrade those in need? If WE don't teach them the RIGHT way...I'm afraid at what our society will become. WE must stand up for the disenfranchised, WE must stand up for the voiceless, and WE must stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves.  He(Jesus) went about doing good and He healed them all…not just those who looked like Him, not just those who were in His socioeconomic class, and not just those who  were of His faith; but He healed them ALL…WHY? Because He loved them ALL!  

This is an updated post I did for my good friend Stacey who blogs over at  "She Stands" and "Shakin' the Foundation". Whenever you get a chance, go check out her blogs!
All Rights Reserved copyright© 2012 Michell Pulliam “Prowess and Pearls” Devotionals by Michell Pulliam