Gotta Stop Listening!

I had a thought rolling around my heart for months now, but have kept it pretty quiet. It's this: Helping others is messy business. You're all probably thinking, "Um, yea, you just waking up to the facts, dreamer girl?" You gotta learn to step away from the think tanks and just do what you were called to do. The think tanks are going to tell you who deserves help, the one perfect way to help, and whether or not your results were the perfect results to safely call yourself a "success." 

Think tanks aren't new. Jesus helped lots of people that the think tanks thought should be left to themselves. Drunks, thieves, prostitutes were just a few on his list of people most deserving help. There sure weren't many calling him a "hero" for it either. He was declared a drunk and demon possessed just for starters...

I read a recent article that declared that evangelicals moving toward adoption in large numbers were leading to children being bought and sold. Are you kidding me??? So, reports that international adoptions are DOWN in number, not UP are false? And even if they are up, what is the answer?? Should we let children languish in orphanages?? Should we discourage people who are seeking to adopt legally and ethically because they are afraid of corruption? 

Want to give money to the poor? Someone's going to give you a story about a guy they tried to give a job to but he refused it because he was making more money panhandling. 

Want to help someone get a job? Someone's going to tell you that you are enabling them to not take control of their own life. 

Want to invite a homeless person to stay at your house? Someone's going to remind you how dangerous it is and you won't be able to help them anyway. 

Want to go on a short term missions trip? Get ready for the links to anti-short-term-missions articles. 

It goes on and on doesn't it? 

It's so important to learn to recognize the voice of Jesus. Then you can shut your ears to the think tank and follow the One who knows all things! 

"He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor
Will also cry himself and not be answered." Proverbs 21:13