Thinking Like a Homeless Person

What do you think of when you look at these pictures?  Maybe your thoughts turn to the possibility of skiing or snowboarding in the near future.  Or maybe you think about the incredible beauty of the full moon on a clear night.  Or maybe you are looking forward to a cozy day home from work or school.

But what do homeless people think of when they see scenes like these?  It’s most likely that their thoughts are not the same as yours or mine – because these pictures all represent a reality that we have never experienced.  For the homeless person, these pictures represent another nearly unbearable season living outside in the bitter elements.

It’s been colder than average this month where I live, so I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately.  There is so much that we take for granted, but God has been prompting me recently to be more aware of people outside my normal circle.  Maybe it’s because I’ve been helping out for the past few months with our church’s involvement with other area churches in providing a weekly meal and basic supplies for the homeless in my city.  Perhaps for the first time in my life there are real faces that I see regularly to remind me of how difficult life is for some.

Christmas is a time of year when many people do special things for others and contribute to the needs of those less fortunate.  But God always cares about the poor (Psalm 140:12), and he expects his people to do the same.  The first time I helped serve lunch to the homeless was in the summer and was one of the hottest days of the year.  Those who came were so grateful to spend a few minutes out of the heat and to use regular bathroom facilities and splash some cool water on their faces.  Whether the weather is too hot or too cold, there is rarely, if ever, a time when sleeping outdoors and having no home are positive things.

Here’s what God has been reminding me of lately as I go about my daily routine: I have heat in my home and my car (as well as air conditioning); I have hot running water; I have an electric blanket; I have a heated throw for the living room; I have two fireplaces; I have several coats and jackets, several scarves, three pairs of gloves, and many sweaters and warm socks.  Obviously, the list could go on; but you get the point.  Caring about others begins with a thankful heart for the blessings I have been given.

Jesus taught that we will always have the poor (John 12:8) and that it is our responsibility to show our love for God by taking care of the poor around us (Matthew 25:35-45).  When we care for “the least of these”, we are seeing them through God’s eyes and conveying a part of God’s grace to them.  Regardless of their poverty or other issues, homeless people were created in the image of God and are dearly loved by him. 

The challenge for each of us is to find ways to care for the poor and homeless throughout the year – not just at Christmas.  God’s love for people is not influenced by manmade holidays, and neither should our love for others.  True caring means looking outside of our own world and seeing people as God sees them.  It means having a thankful heart for the blessings we have and looking for ways we can bless others who are less fortunate.  Christmas is a good time to start, but homeless people will still be too cold in February and too warm in August.  Let’s choose not to forget about them when our warm and cozy holiday is over.   

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” 

                                                                    James 1:27  

Don't Forget What Really Matters

It’s been a busy couple of weeks.  Thanksgiving has come and gone and the Christmas season has fully arrived.  I’m still working on completing my decorating and getting out my annual Christmas cards/letters, but I’m almost ready to relax and enjoy my favorite time of year.

But in the midst of all the trappings, I want to be sure that I am focusing my attention on what really matters about this wonderful season.  And this can be summed up in one word: Immanuel.  The word Immanuel means “God with us”; and Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of the world and everything in it, came to earth as a human baby just because he loved us and wanted relationship with us.  What an amazing gift we have been given!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us . . .”                                      John 1:1 & 14a

God, in the person of Jesus, literally came and “pitched his tent” next door to us – right where we live and in the middle of our everyday lives.  What this means is that although Jesus was fully God, he was also fully human – providing both an example for us and an advocate who understands us completely:

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”                                                         Hebrews 4:15-16

Immanuel wasn’t just a gift for the people who were alive when Jesus walked on earth.  “God with us” is a reality for each of us every day.  Relationship with the one true God is available for everyone, and it is God’s desire that all of us would choose to take advantage of that opportunity (2 Peter 3:9).  And I can tell you from experience that there is nothing more valuable or meaningful than being in relationship with God. 

As this Christmas season gets into full swing, I’m going to try to keep my focus on what really matters.  I love all of the lights and music and family and friends that go along with Christmas.  But if all of those things were no longer here, I would still have the greatest part of Christmas – the gift of Immanuel.  And “God with us” will always be true, regardless of anything else – and that’s what really matters!

Giving Thanks No Matter What

The past week has brought out both the best and the worst of Americans.  Many, including Christians, have chosen to continue the political dialogue after the election is over – and not always in the kindest way.  Others have continued the discussion with a focus on healing and hope.  But for me it’s time to move on and change my thoughts to other topics – because, regardless of who won the election, Thanksgiving is only 10 days away!

Thanksgiving is a down-played, if not forgotten, holiday; and yet, as Christians, it should be one of our most cherished.  The Bible is full of passages that call us to be thankful to God.  Yet it seems that in the 21^st century this is a lost art.  Humans are so self-centered that we find it difficult to focus on God – much less approach him with thankfulness.  Romans 1:21 paints this scenario: “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened.” 

For some reason, I’ve never liked the Thanksgiving tradition of taking turns around the table to say something we’re thankful for.  I guess it always seemed contrived rather than truly representing heartfelt gratitude.  Maybe that’s because our answers usually involve being thankful for something that is selfish – something I have (like freedom, family, friends, etc.) that makes my life better than someone else’s – or something that reveals that my thankfulness is tied to my circumstances.  These don’t seem to fully embrace the concept of gratitude that we are to have deep within us every day – which is based on things that are bigger than ourselves or events around us.  In fact, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says we are to “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

With that in mind, I thought it would be good to list a few things that we can and should ALWAYS be thankful for – because they are ALWAYS true no matter what happens around us.  This Thanksgiving, I choose to focus on these unchanging and amazing truths:

·      God is sovereign and in control of everything (1 Chronicles 29:11-12)

·      God is good (all the time) and his love and faithfulness endure forever (Psalm 100:5)

·      We have God’s written Word and his Spirit to guide us (2 Timothy 3:16 & John 16:13)

·      God became Emmanuel – God with us – and lived among us in the person of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:23 & John 1:14)

·      With his death and resurrection, Jesus secured victory over Satan and sin and all ways of the world that are contrary to his divine nature (1 Corinthians 15:57 & 1 John 5:4)

·      God has given us the free gift of eternal salvation through his grace alone and has prepared work for us to do for him (Ephesians 2:8-9)

·      We have received a kingdom that can never be shaken and will last forever (Hebrews 12:28)

·      I am personally known by God (Psalm 139) and can know him personally as well (1 John 5:20)

These are just a few things that we can be thankful for every day.  No matter what else is happening to us or around us, these things will always be true.  With these things to focus on, do my circumstances or the world around me really matter?  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!