I was stopped twice again today, by people asking for spare change.  A commonplace occurrence, except our winters are so cold that it doesn't happen much over the 6 coldest months of the year, so these were the first two people to approach me since last fall.

Giving to beggars is a contentious issue, one everyone has an opinion on and one Christians in particular have a bit of a bone to chew.  It's possibly the number one question I get asked, as an urban minister.  (I usually refer them to some other expert.  The kids I work with aren't usually the ones on the streets begging, so my "expertise" is the same as theirs: trying to live a Christ-like life in today's world.)

I've changed my mind dozens of times on this issue, and likely will change it again, but in this 2-part blog series I will take a look at where I've landed on this issue.  In Part One, I will discuss 3 convictions I have developed regarding responding to requests for handouts, and in Part Two (coming next Monday), I will feature 3 ways to be wise with giving away handouts.

1) It's better to give than to make excuses so the guilt goes away.

There are times that I can say "no" to someone and don't think about it again.  I will make the assumption that those times are based on honest resources: be they time, money or what's at hand, and not based on selfishness or the sake of convenience.  These times I can look the person in the eye, and talk to them as a friend while still saying no.  This is just fine.

There are other times when I can't quite make eye contact, and something nags at my conscience, and the change in my purse feels like it's burning a hole in me.  I say no and walk away and spend the rest of the day justifying it to myself.  These times, I'm learning, are times when I have ignored the voice of the Holy Spirit for the sake of my own agenda and it's NEVER worth it.

2. My responsibility to God has to do with me, not them.

One top reason not to give is because the money will often go to support habits I don't approve of, namely buying cigarettes, alcohol or drugs.  I have no desire to support the drug industry, so I don't give.

I have felt convicted that I have been using this as an excuse to be stingy, not as an opportunity for generosity.  As an opportunity for generosity, I could take that person out for lunch instead, or wait with them and buy their fare on the bus.  See, I am responsible to God for my actions, not anybody else's.  When judgement day comes, I will stand before God and have to answer to why I did or did not give money when I had it and someone else didn't.  I will not have to answer to why the money I gave away was wasted.

So, by all means, give something other than cash.  But please don't stop helping the poor for this reason alone.

3. I would rather be known for foolish generousity than for selfish stinginess.

If I am going to err, I have decided I'd rather err on the side of generosity than on the side of holding too tightly to my resources.  This being said, I still often say "no" to people asking for handouts, and I have a pretty firm grasp on what I can afford to give away thoughtlessly (ie handouts) versus what I can afford to give away intentionally (where charitable tax receipts and the like come in.)  I believe I need to be giving to both, but the vast majority of my giving will be to organizations who are doing a good job in helping people in rough situations rather than giving directly to these people.  Still, there's something to be said about human touch, looking someone in the eye, and giving a little bit in the meantime.  I will make mistakes, probably every single time.  But at the end of the day, I want to be known as the idiot who gave too much away rather than the miser who never gave anything.