Long Blog Op.1 No.2 "Service"

Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"
So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, then keep the commandments."
He said to Him, "Which ones?"
Jesus said to him, " 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' "You shall honor your father and your mother,' and 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "
The young man said to Him, "All these I have kept since my youth. What do I still lack?"
Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow Me."
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Matthew 19:16-22

I have always found this part of Matthew extremely interesting. Here is this young guy blessed with a great bank account and he wants to get into heaven. But when all that he's told to do is give up the cash and nice things, (p.s. you'll be reimbursed when you pass through the Pearly Gates) and follow Jesus; he is disappointed and decides to keep him earthly goods. Now, I'm not about to blog a sermon, but I intend to elaborate on my thoughts about whether it's better to offer some money or your time helping those in need.

Jesus set the example during His time one earth, so I believe that it is better for people to physically take care of those who need to be cared for then to simply hand over a few dollars and call it a day. I do not see the point in harping about how the government in some countries is corrupt because let's face it the US isn't any more perfect than any other country. However, let's be fair to those who do not seem to have any time to actually go down to the trenches of life and fight a battle or two. Then offer your money, but do not separate yourself from Mr. Benjamin. Be involved in the organization that is receiving your money and follow where that dollar is going. Is it going to those in need, being used to gain more resources and money for the company, or is simply being used to support someone's next family vacation to Greece disguised under the pretty gift wrap of charity. We must be intelligent about these things; we can not just give money as a balm to soothe any guilty feelings. I don't believe I've ever heard someone say that they gave a couple hundred buck to Jerry Lewis' telethon and that they've never felt better. Usually they got off their chair warmer and did something. I know this because I have sat through numerous testimonies from Student Missionaries and I've never heard one complain that they did feel good about what they did...often times they wished they could have done more. Even my own experiences from being a missionary for a few months is something I'll always cherish, and, for a while, it calmed my urge to leave the country and do something for the Lord.

As I mentioned in my previous blog on this topic, service should be seen in the same manner that people should raise their children. BE THERE!!! Handing a 100 dollar bill to a child who just scraped their knee will not make them feel better or solve the problem (unless of course the band-aid looks like a 100 dollar bill). The same way awesome parents hold their child, clean the wound, and offer love and comfort is the same way we should help others in poor countries. Love and comfort the hurt and help solve their problem. That is why I like the Acumen Fund's intentions. Instead of just giving people soap or mosquito nets, build the needed factories in the area to provide jobs and resources for the people, and in turn improve the living standard, and empower the people. Money alone will not solve anything, but some action with a side of cash will make a huge difference...in fact, it will simply make a difference.