A recent disaster that swept through southern and central Texas got me to think more about something that’s been on my heart for a while.
Typically, when there is a disaster or some sort of situation, there is never a lack of people to volunteer with helping out. Whether this means caring for people, searching for people, delivering food or blankets, doesn’t matter.
Among non-christians, there is often the perception that we only do these things for the purpose of pushing our beliefs (or, in some cases, religion).
While there are christians out there who have this m.o, I’d like to think that for most of us, it’s about helping, caring and loving people, and not about “the numbers.”
So I think it’s important to evaluate our heart and our intentions as we get involved with helping and caring for people – the act of helping, caring and loving them should be in the forefront of your mind, not the feeling of obligation that you have to share the gospel or your faith with the people you are helping.
Remember, it’s about loving people, not converting them.
I agree, but you know what’s funny? I’ve been told by many a Christian that the only reason non-Christians help the suffering is to feel better about themselves and they should really be doing it out of the fear of the Lord. That may be because I grew up in Alabama, where you should always fear the wrath of God, and the consequences of loosing a football game! 🙂 So, you can’t win for loosing, one side says, if you do it for God then you don’t truly love and you just have an agenda. The other side says if you aren’t Christian then you must be doing it for selfish reasons; to make yourself look good. Personally, I bet that the people receiving the blankets and food don’t give a rats “beep” why you are doing it – they’re just glad you got your butt out there and did it! But how about this, what if you do it for both reasons – because you love people and helping them makes you feel good AND because you have a healthy respect for the Lord and his word??
I do not totally agree with Erin. If someone thinks that non-Christians do things to make themselves feel better, they need to hang out with more non-Christians. I have seen more genuine love, care, and consideration in non-Christian communities than I have in the Christian communities. I think the reasoning behind this is that these people are “real” and do not have to put up faces in front of others like Christians do. Why do Christians think that they stopped sinning as soon as they got saved and don’t need the support of others? I flipped through my Bible and couldn’t find it.
Ooops, I didn’t read everything that Erin said – so I agree with her – my comments after the misunderstanding still stand.
I suspect that Erin is correct, in that the people receiving the care/aid/whatever, don’t have much concern for what the givers motive is for caring/giving aid/whatever.
Having said that, my question/whatever was more along the line of what the motive is, of the giver – I’m not saying that anyone’s motives are impure/selfish/whatnot – just that one should take care when helping/loving/caring for others, so that one doesn’t fall in the trap where one has the ulterior (in a negative sense) motive of converting the person they are helping/caring/loving.
I see what you mean. It should
not be about gaining more on
“our side” or about those
numbers you talk about. Also I
see that non-christians can surely
be more real in ways and do good
deeds from themselves. A thing
Christians should learn more about
is more genunieness and sincerity towards what they believe and
reasons to do things (that
would be very powerful) – not just
because of a bigger cause to serve but
because they belong to it and have
an understanding of others that is
deeper and more sincere. What you
seem to be missing, however, is
that there is not only a physical
hunger, but a spiritual hunger that
the Bible talks about and is real
to those who become aware of it!
We still have that responsibility
but need better ways of internalizing,
practicing it ourselves, as well as
helping others to know God!
It is still very very important.