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I opened the refrigerator one morning to get milk for my
cereal. I saw all the food, thought about the world's hungry
people, and said a prayer.
Think About The Poor
As you know, there are many poor people in the world. Even
the poorest in our country, are among the richest in the
world.
Although Jesus tells us we'll always have poor people
(Matt. 26:11), we can't harden our hearts and ignore the
genuine needs of others.
Think about the poor for a minute. There are people in
the world who don't have refrigerators, and even if they
did there's no food to put in them. They have to buy food
daily, if they have money and if there's food to buy.
And think about poor children who depend on others to
feed them. They're incapable of working and earning a living,
and unable to supply their own food through subsistence
farming. Some of the children in our country barely eat,
except at school. And some in impoverished countries rarely
get enough to eat, and never get delicious, fully balanced,
nutritious meals.
Look inside your refrigerator and think about it!
Compassion For The Poor
Jesus had compassion for the poor, and we should too (Mk.
12:42-43; Lk. 14:13, 21; 18:22).
In the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus teaches us
to have compassion for the poor and downtrodden (Lk. 10:33-37).
And Zaccheus is an example as one who found favor in Jesus'
eyes, giving half his possessions to the poor (Lk. 19:8).
As Christians, James tells us that "Pure and undefiled
religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to
visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep
oneself unstained by the world" (Jas. 1:27).
Are you as compassionate and giving as God wants you to
be? Look inside your refrigerator and think about it!
Judgment: More Required Of The Rich
The Lord requires more from people He's given more (Lk.
12:41-48).
This principle is true regarding spiritual blessings,
exemplified by the fact that teachers incur stricter judgment
(Jas. 3:1).
But more importantly, in the context of this article,
God holds us accountable for our stewardship over our physical
blessings.
Jesus, in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, teaches
that we'll be tormented in hell if we don't exercise good
stewardship over our wealth, and help the poor (Lk. 16:19-31;
cf. Jas. 1:27).
And, in the parable of the rich man who planned to tear
down his barns to build larger ones, Jesus tells us we'll
be punished for greediness, if we're only concerned about
building wealth (Lk. 12:15-21).
Can you imagine standing before Jesus, judged for your
stewardship over your material wealth? Will it be a good
thing or a bad thing? Look inside your refrigerator and
think about it!
The Lord Gives, And He Takes Away
After Satan struck him the first time, Job said, "Naked
I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the
name of the Lord" (Job 1:21).
Like Job, we could lose our material wealth, along with
most everything that's important, in a single day. We could
be poor, unable to feed our children a nourishing meal,
without a source of income or the ability to grow our own
food.
What would it be like to live without the wealth you enjoy?
Look inside your refrigerator and think about it!
Be Content and Share
As Christians, we should be content and share with people
who are less fortunate.
"For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot
take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering,
with these we shall be content" (1 Tim. 6:7).
"Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to
be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves
the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that
they may take hold of that which is life indeed" (1 Tim.
6:18-19).
Look Inside Your Refrigerator
When you look inside your refrigerator and take something
out to eat, think about God's bountiful blessings, and the
responsibility you have as a steward of great wealth.
Let's take time to pray for people who have less than
us, and who are hungry. And let's take time to thank God
for our blessings, while asking for help to be profitable
stewards in His kingdom.
Look inside your refrigerator and think about it!
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