Alms question

SamanthaAnastasia

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okay,
So I give homeless people money (a couple cents) or water whenever I see them.
My father who says he’s a Christian says to not do that and always gets upset at me when I do.
I understand that some may use the money for immoral things but I feel like it is my duty to give them kindness because of my love for them through Christ.
While I will donate to charities when I begin working, I feel like when I see the needy in front of me, I will help or try to.
Thoughts?
Am I wrong or stupid?
 

longwait

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It is better to give money to the homeless than to all those well-off people on u-tube who asks for money and donations. We are supposed to help the homeless. God Bless you for having compassion for them.
The Sheep and the Goats
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Matthew 25:31-40
 
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Joined2krist

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If the Holy Spirit inspires you to give, do it. Obedience to the Spirit of God should be your focus. Perhaps you should explain to your dad why you give, tell him it makes you joyful and you derive peace from doing it. Tell him that if he has any other suggestions as to how you can give in other ways, he should let you know and you'll consider it if you have enough. God bless
 
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Radagast

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So I give homeless people money (a couple cents) or water whenever I see them.
My father who says he’s a Christian says to not do that and always gets upset at me when I do.
I understand that some may use the money for immoral things but I feel like it is my duty to give them kindness because of my love for them through Christ.

There is no doubt at all that we should show love to homeless people and help them. The Bible tells us to do that (Matthew 25:35-36, which has already been quoted). So you're doing the right thing in showing them love.

But there's also the practical issue of the best way of helping them. Some Christians (like your father, I'm guessing) think it best not to give them money directly, but to give the money through some kind of charity. That way, experienced charity workers can make sure that the money is spent wisely. So I'm not going to argue against what your father says.
 
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DamianWarS

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okay,
So I give homeless people money (a couple cents) or water whenever I see them.
My father who says he’s a Christian says to not do that and always gets upset at me when I do.
I understand that some may use the money for immoral things but I feel like it is my duty to give them kindness because of my love for them through Christ.
While I will donate to charities when I begin working, I feel like when I see the needy in front of me, I will help or try to.
Thoughts?
Am I wrong or stupid?
it can be irresponsible to give to someone who is going to misuse the money. I think a good approach to try to actually develop a relationship with some of the homeless. For example, if someone is begging, stop and say you're about to grab a coffee and ask if they would like one. Buy them the coffee (or whatever like drink/food) and come back and give it to them, ask their name and exchange a few words, and treat them with respect.

then... come another day and do it again this time getting to know them better and better to a point that you just know their "order" and walk up and give it to them (with coffee you can write inspirational messages on the cups). Start having longer conversations and get more intimate and find out why it is they are struggling and how you can really help. (maybe money is not what they really need)

then help in whatever it is they need (maybe it's just a job interview, maybe it's a jacket) and the next time you see them you can ask them how they are doing and challenge and encourage them because you know them and have developed a relationship (you can also share the gospel, DBS is a great way to do it with the homeless). If they don't respond or are quite uninterested in a relationship you can still treat them with respect and still work on the surface level by just getting them a cup of coffee (even if it's Triple, Venti, Soy, No Foam Latte) and say "Have a good day Frank!"
 
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All4Christ

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While I like the approach of @DamianWarS, and do something similar at times myself, I do caution you to have common sense. One time that I did that with a middle age man, the man started to try to come onto me. He was asking lots of personal questions and was starting to follow where I was going afterwards. I started to feel very uncomfortable. I felt threatened to the point that I don’t feel comfortable being near him.

This isn’t an excuse to not help the homeless. Personally, I like to do a combination of approaches. Always keep your street smarts though. Don’t feel like you need to get really close to a homeless man or become intimate with him, as it may give the wrong impression. Help, yes, and perhaps suggest to a male friend that he help this person on a more personal basis, but always be careful.
 
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DamianWarS

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perhaps suggest to a male friend that he help this person on a more personal basis, but always be careful.
men to men and women to women otherwise go in pairs. it's wise practice and it's ultimately better for the person in need so as not to suggest a different motivation not to mention we know our own sex best and there are sensitive issues that is always best for same-sex to discuss then the opposite. I'm sure a homeless woman doesn't want to receive pads from a man as a gift in kind so it's good to be smart about these things.

of course, you might encounter similar issues with gay people but they seem better at the answer no than perhaps single middle-aged men do. But it is worth saying that homeless people often carry a lot of emotional/psychological baggage and when they encounter someone who cares for them they may interpret it the wrong way, and in ways that may surprise us, so we do need to be on our guard. I would recommend doing it intentionally with a prayer focus before and after to help ground yourself and to be led by the spirit.
 
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SamanthaAnastasia

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men to men and women to women otherwise go in pairs. it's wise practice and it's ultimately better for the person in need so as not to suggest a different motivation not to mention we know our own sex best and there are sensitive issues that is always best for same-sex to discuss then the opposite. I'm sure a homeless woman doesn't want to receive pads from a man as a gift in kind so it's good to be smart about these things.

of course, you might encounter similar issues with gay people but they seem better at the answer no than perhaps single middle-aged men do. But it is worth saying that homeless people often carry a lot of emotional/psychological baggage and when they encounter someone who cares for them they may interpret it the wrong way, and in ways that may surprise us, so we do need to be on our guard. I would recommend doing it intentionally with a prayer focus before and after to help ground yourself and to be led by the spirit.
I am always with my husband when I help anyone. I am mostly frightened of people so when he’s with me, I know I am somewhat safe.
 
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AvgJoe

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okay,
So I give homeless people money (a couple cents) or water whenever I see them.
My father who says he’s a Christian says to not do that and always gets upset at me when I do.
I understand that some may use the money for immoral things but I feel like it is my duty to give them kindness because of my love for them through Christ.
While I will donate to charities when I begin working, I feel like when I see the needy in front of me, I will help or try to.
Thoughts?
Am I wrong or stupid?

Question: "How should a Christian respond to beggars?"

Answer:
There are many opinions on the question of how to respond to beggars and panhandlers, which admittedly is a difficult one. Some people feel comfortable handing out money, believing it is then up to the beggar to determine how to use it, whether to buy food or alcohol/drugs. Others give food/water instead of money, understanding that some beggars would not use the money for the uses the giver intended. What is the right thing to do? Biblically speaking, we are to help the poor. But, does our responsibility end with the giving, or should we give and make sure our gifts are used for the right purposes?

To continue reading~~~> www.gotquestions.org/Christian-beggars.html
 
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All4Christ

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men to men and women to women otherwise go in pairs. it's wise practice and it's ultimately better for the person in need so as not to suggest a different motivation not to mention we know our own sex best and there are sensitive issues that is always best for same-sex to discuss then the opposite. I'm sure a homeless woman doesn't want to receive pads from a man as a gift in kind so it's good to be smart about these things.

of course, you might encounter similar issues with gay people but they seem better at the answer no than perhaps single middle-aged men do. But it is worth saying that homeless people often carry a lot of emotional/psychological baggage and when they encounter someone who cares for them they may interpret it the wrong way, and in ways that may surprise us, so we do need to be on our guard. I would recommend doing it intentionally with a prayer focus before and after to help ground yourself and to be led by the spirit.
Agreed. There will be times where you are alone if it happens without planning, but in those cases, I’d get the food, tell them to have a blessed day, and leave. In my town, if I am walking or running by myself, it happens often unexpectedly. Intentionally doing that with prayer and with another person (or only doing it with people of the same sex) is good to do. In all cases, prayer is key.
 
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Sketcher

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When I visited Jesus People USA - who, for all their faults, do good work among the poor by maintaining halfway houses, providing childcare, and feeding the hungry, among other things - even they wouldn't give money to street people. They'd invite them over for a meal, but not give them money. Think about that.

A big reason why giving street people money is frowned upon in general in the US is that much of the time, that money goes straight to drugs or alcohol. Some will sell bus passes as well. Give them an unopened bottled water instead.
 
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eleos1954

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okay,
So I give homeless people money (a couple cents) or water whenever I see them.
My father who says he’s a Christian says to not do that and always gets upset at me when I do.
I understand that some may use the money for immoral things but I feel like it is my duty to give them kindness because of my love for them through Christ.
While I will donate to charities when I begin working, I feel like when I see the needy in front of me, I will help or try to.
Thoughts?
Am I wrong or stupid?

Give them water (unopened bottled), at least that way you do know it's not likely to be used for something harmful to them.
 
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