Do you give to beggars?

[texan4ut]

Our church puts together homeless bags. Usually has a bottle of water, package of snack crackers, small bottle of hand sanitizer, and a protein type bar and a list of homeless shelters, places to go, as well as phone numbers to get help. I will take a few if I am going to be in Austin other than that I don't give them anything. Probably not the christian thing to do I guess but I can't afford to feed the world.

[gfulton]

Depends on what she looks like.

[Swampa]

Never. I work for my money.


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[okrattler]

I have a few times. The last time I did it I was getting food. The guy said he was hungry so I gave him some money. All the sudden he disappears so I stop across the street to get gas and he's in there buying cigarettes.

He comes into where I work all the time to get coffee and uses the water hose out front to take a shower sometimes. He knows exactly who I am because he really doesn't talk to me. He tried to start a conversation with me one day. The wind was blowing around 80mph that day and it was funny because he sat down and there was a long awkward silence. He says "So.....What's the weather supposed to be like today?" I look out the window and said......"Windy." He nodded his head in approval of my answer. That guys dishonest and he knows that I know it.

I never said nothin to him about it so I don't know why be acts all weird about it. A lot of people have lied to me. I don't care.

[bow4my2]

I was working with my brother in Florida and a guy was begging. We pulled up and offered him some work, shower, money and food. Told him where to be and when. He said , no thanks, that sounds too hard, Id rather sit with my hand out.

[Black Ice]

Nope.


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[Jeremy7306]

Absolutely not


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[FLASH_OUTDOORS]

Some of you fellas should spend more time in the Word. We are called to be generous with what God HAS ALLOWED us to be stewards of. We are called NOT to pass judgement, lest ye too shall be judged - and by the same criteria. Good luck out there, to all you fellas that think something could never happen to you with the result being homelessness. I’m not naive, but’s it’s not my job to sort out the good and the bad, it’s Gods. It’s also not my money, it’s His. The end.

This!!! OP. Instead of going to others and asking opinions, look to the word and see what god says you should do. We were given a handbook. Just turn to Matthew 6 : 2-4 and tell me what you think.

I have a story/testimony to go along with this.

I have always collected quarters. Weird I know. Bicentennial and 1986 was my thing. When I married my wife, I added 1987 to the mix. I always keep a bicentennial, a 1987 and a 1986 in my center console. I play drums, and mine and my wife’s birth year.

One day I stopped off at a gas station near George R. Brown convention center. If you’ve never been there, you can’t really picture it. 100’s of tents setup under the bridge. The city allows it. They actually have a trash service that goes thru there. Anyway, I get out to fuel up and I was approached by a homeless man. My first reaction as “ohh man I knew I shouldn’t have stopped here”. He asked if he could borrow a dollar. I instantly told him, “nah man, I don’t carry cash.” The he said, “ I will take pennies or anything.”

Then god spoke to me. He told me “give him your quarters.” I said “ No! It took me forever to find those!” God spoke again, “ To you they are a memento, to this man they could be dinner.”

So I reluctantly told the man to wait and reached into grab my 3 quarters. He thanked me and walked away with a “god bless you.”

That was Thursday. Friday I went on my first ever prison ministry. I didn’t return to work until Monday. I got my check and deposited it. I kept out $100 for the rest of the week. I went to the store and got a bag of chips and a drink. When I got my .82¢ back the 3 quarters were a bicentennial, 1986, and a 1987.

We are to give with full faith that god is in control, we are to give without our left hand knowing. It isn’t our job to know who “deserves” it or not. Do you believe you “deserve” everything that’s given to you??

If Jesus was sitting beside you in the passenger seat.........would you give then?

Guess what, he is everyday.



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[TN_boy]

After my wife left Tennessee with our son and moved to Austin I lived in my car for 6 months to save every penny I could. I worked odd jobs, got a gym membership for $10/month so I could use their showers, ate dollar menu and drank only water. Never once did I ask for handouts. I did knock on doors to solicit handyman jobs, but I was clean looking and smelled nice. I wasn't going to let my situation degrade my self image.

I won't give to the red light or parking lot beggars but if I see some that are not asking and look as if they need a help I will ask them to lunch or dinner. While conversing I make the decision as to whether they actually need help or are just living off a tax free income because they choose to do so. I work hard for my money and I pay too much in taxes to give and afford someone the luxury of netting more than I do just because they have found out how to scam the system.

[jhuddleston]

NOPE! And for some reason they always pick me out of any group to ask

[boh347]

whelp I gave 4 bucks to a panhandler playing guitar in front of Texaco in sweetwater. My kids were with me, one said dang he plays guitar good hes probable rich. I said yes maybe so..

[Acameron52]

Not a chance.

[Mesquite Archer]

I say "Don't feed the bears." When you do they lose their natural instinct to forage and find their own food for survival and become dependent on humans. Once they lose their fear of humans and see them as a food source bad things happen.

It's the same with people. Once they figure out they can go day to day without working and someone will give them just enough to survive to the next day they get in the trap and stay there. You can't help someone with spare change in your pocket, it would be nice if it was that simple. All you really do is enable them to continue a miserable existence. They have to help themselves to get anywhere other than the next corner.

[texaslongshot]

nope

[Martin]

A few years back there was a nicely dressed guy that worked the Shell station at 75 and 82 in Sherman.
His story was, car was busted, need money for bus fare to Wichita Falls to attend a funeral. I had seen him there previously so I kinda knew something was up.
He hit me up and I offered to give him a ride, told him I was headed there myself....he just gave me the biggest grin and said he wasn't going right then. Nice guy. LOL