Charity Starts At Home

The Christmas season is upon us and for many this signals a time of giving. The Salvation Army bell ringers are strategically positioned at stores. Local businesses are sponsoring toy and food drives. Churches and schools are doing their best to support families in need with food baskets and monetary gifts. You can easily find someone who is collecting something to donate or is just "in the mood" to give something away. It is said that Christmas brings out the best in everyone.

This is the time of year when people are united in the spirit of giving and statements like "we don't accept charity" no longer have a place. Isn't it interesting to think of some of the people who are among the season's biggest givers. They may never have paid a tithe. They may never have stood in line to give an offering, but charity (love) they freely give just because of the time of year.

So what does this mean for the Christian body, those of us who represent charity (love)? Those of us who are charged to give charity (love) in and outside of a certain season. Those of us who open our wallets to the collection plate, but close our doors to family. Those of us who feel so accomplished having adopted a family from our job while leaving blood relatives to fend for themselves. What does it mean when we flock to join the world to do for the stranger while having turned a deaf ear to the needs of an uncle or an aunt for the eleven months prior? 

I know its hard to face these things. The many phone calls from family that you ignored to spend time working for the ministry. The needs of those right in front of you that went unmet so that you could help a random stranger. The stranger has no one and your sister has a job right? Where is the love in picking and choosing who deserves our charity? How can we be so full from helping the masses when our own fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers are starving from a lack of the word. Since charity (love) starts at home and home is where the heart is, could it be that we are only wearing the label of love while others are living it?

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?

1 John 3:17

Adayinthelife :-)