(Photo by Selma Komisky)

A Reason to Give

By Bella Martinez

In Proverbs 31, we see the characteristics of a noble wife. A woman who is, in all ways, Godly. To the married woman, being a noble wife is something to be sought after and practiced daily. To the single woman who desires to become married, practicing to become a noble wife to your future husband is equally as important. There are also many attributes in the noble wife that apply to both married and unmarried women, such as in Proverbs 31:20:

“She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy,” (ESV).

This verse is highly reminiscent of Jesus and His ministry, as it involves much giving. In fact, Jesus taught many times on giving, as in Matthew 25:35-40, when Jesus states that giving to those who are in need is equal to giving unto Jesus Himself. Giving to the Lord is a high honor, and knowing that when we give to those in need we are in turn giving to the Lord is reason enough to give, but Jesus gives us more reasons to give.

In Luke 14:12-14, Jesus discourages us from giving to those who will soon pay us back, but rather encourages us to give to those who are in need and can never repay us. In verse 14, Jesus states that by doing this, we will be blessed and repaid when we go to be with Him in eternity.

Jesus knew that there may be wrong motives in giving, as described above, but goes on to further warn about how giving should be executed in Matthew 6:1-4, when He states that giving should be done in secret. Why? To prevent you from giving for any other reason than to please Him by taking care of His people.

In the US alone, there are approximately 564,708 homeless people living in cars, on the streets or in shelters. The good news is that there are many ways to extend your hands to those in need. If you see someone in need, begin with prayer and ask the Lord for discernment and direction on how to help.

Some people are wary about giving money to the homeless, as they fear they will use it to purchase alcohol or other substances. In which case, provide them with a meal or other necessities like socks, a toothbrush, etc. Go a step further and gather a group to take someone out to lunch who’s in need and learn their story. If you don’t have the means to provide a meal, simply talking with someone in need and sharing the gospel can be life changing to the one who will listen.

Giving should not be reserved for the missions trips your church goes on a few times a year, but should be consistent and frequent, because the mission field is everywhere. In so doing, you will be blessed, just as the noble woman and her household were blessed.