Your generosity leaves an imprint

Have you ever wanted to make a big difference in a broken world? Last week, I traveled to a part of Las Vegas plagued by drugs and poverty. It really shook me up. I was on my way to watch one of my grandsons play soccer and found myself surrounded by a bizarre scenario of debris-filled yards and dilapidated buildings surrounded by junk and garbage. Wow! That sure doesn’t look like my side of town. 

I love Las Vegas. It’s a tremendous city with incredible people, but these images reminded me of a science fiction horror story. The beautiful park was right in the middle of a very stressed neighborhood. I’m pretty sure every major city has its fair share of troubled people who live in troubled neighborhoods. It made me sad. It made me want to do something. Have you ever felt this way? 

The Bible teaches us that when Jesus “...saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36, NKJV) Compassion is a God-given emotion. Poverty, drug abuse, and ghettos should bother us. Prejudice should trouble us. I left my grandson’s soccer game with a heavy heart. Poverty and broken lives are not new problems, but they are pressing problems that have reached a breaking point. 

friend, what troubles you? What can be done about it? Let me share what I’ve done in the past, and I hope you will create your own unique to-do list. 

1. Pray.
2. Bust out your Bible and seek direction. The Word encourages us to “‘Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.’” (Luke 6:38, NKJV)  
3. Consider volunteering at a soup kitchen or job training outreach.
4. Study the origins of the problems in that neighborhood. 
5. Partner with people who are already involved in helping people in that neighborhood.

friend, the problems of the world are as deep as the ocean, and you may feel powerless to make a difference. But the Bible says, “‘And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is My disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.’” (Matthew 10:42, NIV) Every gift of resources, prayer, time, energy, and love will leave an invisible imprint. God will make sure your actions are not in vain because you are a miracle and people need you.