Have you ever looked into the eyes of a mother whose child is starving, or a father whose family is homeless because of war or natural disaster? If you had (as I have), I seriously doubt if you’d even be asking this question. How can we condemn them to death by refusing to help them?

The real question, however, is this: How does God look on those who are suffering or impoverished? The answer is clear: God loves them just as much as He loves us. Most of those who followed Jesus during His time on earth were poor, and suffered from almost every kind of disease. But Jesus didn’t turn His back on them; instead, He welcomed them and helped them. The Bible says, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

But there is another question I hope you’ll ask yourself: Why are you indifferent to those who are suffering in our world? Why are you reluctant to help them? Is it because you don’t want to let go of your money? Is it because you’re prejudiced against those of other races? Only you can answer this, of course — but whatever the reason, face it honestly, and ask God to help you deal with it.

Yes, many people in our nation face enormous problems today, especially in these difficult economic times — and we need to do all we can to help them. But God loves the whole world — and so should we.