09/04/2026
It’s sad how we’ve become a people who give to ministries and ministers who become extremely wealthy, purchase multiple homes…live lavish lifestyles, and preach income over outcome.
I believe in prosperity and I don’t
believe you can read the word of God and not prosper. Wealth is not a sin, but arrogance,
exploitation, lack of accountability, and indifference
to the needs of God’s people are
serious matters.
I believe that as my soul prospers so shall I prosper in all things… but I don’t believe in the ditch theory of He’s the God of more than enough and it’s for me and not for every good work
according to His will and word.
It’s heartbreaking and honestly confusing when someone who is widely seen as a strong
Christian, a spiritual leader and example in the body of Christ turns out to hold beliefs that seem so disconnected from Jesus’ heart for people who are hurting.
I have experienced this myself and can understand the caution of giving to those who dance on the corner with their “God bless you” sign or sit by the light with their dog in tow… “professional panderers”.. men and women who spend their days asking for
money…
It is true that some individuals choose panhandling over traditional work, but reducing the entire crisis to that small, visible group blinds us to the deeper truth…that every human story is more complicated than a cardboard sign, and that
compassion shouldn’t be tossed aside just because a few choose a path that we don’t agree with and one that’s easier for them in light of the suffering they’ve endured.
When a believer says “they chose to be homeless”, it
reduces the complex realities of trauma, poverty, mental health, broken systems, and family loss into a simple judgment that lets the giver off the hook.
Most people who think clearly and have stable support in their lives would never willingly
choose to live on the streets with the danger, the drugs, the abuse and instability, the harsh weather, and the painful situations that come with it.
When someone ends up there, it almost always points to deeper issues of childhood trauma…
woundedness, addiction, loss, abuse, mental strain…broken hearts and relationships…things that most of us never see.
Instead of assuming they simply “chose” this life, we’re called to recognize that such choices
usually grow out of devastation, affliction and anguish…it’s certainly not preference.
That understanding should move us toward compassion instead of judgment.
Thank God that Jesus never screened people to see if they “deserved” help. He didn’t check motives, moral history, or personal responsibility.
He saw their heart and their suffering, and His response was compassion first.
Scriptures constantly reveal God’s heart for the poor, the stranger, and the oppressed.
To deny help just because we think someone “chose” their situation is the opposite of how Jesus interacted with human brokenness.
I’ve learned through the years that a public reputation doesn’t reveal a private posture as I’ve seen and heard big ministries and their celebrity leaders judge the hearts of “people in the street”
Sending books instead of food or money…telling me that they’re not called to “that ministry”. We are ALL called to care for the less fortunate.
1 John 3:17–18 (NLT)
If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion…how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”
It’s jarring to see the gap between how someone talks about their faith and how they treat vulnerable people.
In the end…we all have to tap into the love of God in a way that isn’t just theological but tangible…letting His compassion flow through us as real grace toward the people who need it most.
When we will stop long enough to see the deep and real wounds beneath someone else’s dire circumstances, we will remember that heaven’s response to brokenness has always been undeserved kindness.
If we choose to offer that kindness intentionally, one life at a time, our small acts of mercy become part of God’s larger work of restoration in the world.
We may not be able to change the entire globe, but when we pour into our own community and the people around us, we transform their world…and through them, a ripple of hope begins to spread farther than we can imagine.
Let’s love people on purpose and with purpose! 🩷
Please prayerfully consider sowing a seed at the Kingsway Community Outreach feeding over 1500 families monthly located in the Transformation Centre downtown Hamilton,
