Welcome to the El Camino Baptist Church blog. We wanted a place where our ministry leaders could share things that God has laid on their hearts. Please feel free to comment and join in the discussion as we share how God is moving through His church.Other places to find us on the web are our website, Youtube, and Facebook. You can also check out Hoss' music blog at hosshughes.com.









Thursday, December 23, 2010

Incredible Needs

This Christmas at church we provided gifts for at least 10 families who needed to spend their money on basic needs, not extras. Tonight my husband and I ran to a tree lot across town that was giving away 900 trees to people in need. We got there 2 hours after they started giving them away, and they were out. The reality that there were that many people without a tree 3 days before Christmas didn’t feel real to me, but why would people take a tree if they already had one?

A car full of people, really full, pulled up as I was walking back to our truck. They asked me where the trees were. I explained that they were all gone. The little boy mushed in the back seat said, “That’s ok, right mom? We don’t need a tree to celebrate Christmas, right!?” She smiled and said, “That’s right son! Merry Christmas!” And they drove off, all smiles. Then a man in a fairly nice truck wearing a dress shirt drove up and asked me the same question. I gave the same answer. He stared past me for a moment, thinking, and then sadly said, “Oh. Ok.” And drove off.

In our economy there are so many people who are not even able to meet their basic daily living needs, let alone anything extra. Times are hard. My Bible dictionary defines needs as 'Something I must have. The basic human needs are food, clothing, shelter, love, and spiritual salvation.'

Let’s help meet people’s physical needs and at the same time help meet their spiritual needs. Let’s work together to glorify God in this economy. What are your ideas in this area? I bet they're great!!

5 comments:

  1. Very thought provoking, I've wondered this before, when we help meet someon's phsyical needs, how do we minister to the spiritual side, and on the other hand, how many of us are blessed to have our phsyical needs taken care of but are looking for that Spiritual needs heping hand. When you solve it let me know, until that happens, Ill pray about it

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  2. My son just joined a mission organization that does just that. Maybe we should go through their training. Last year they saw thousands of people come to Christ as they helped meet their physical needs. I want my efforts to be that effective for Christ.

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  3. The more I thought about it last night the more I came up with a focus on Phsyical needs only doesnt usually mean spiritual needs are taken care of but a focus on spiritual needs usually ensures that basic physical needs are taken care of, Still thinking on this one

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  4. I think both are essential. Even the greatest teacher the world has ever seen (Jesus, of course) met people's physical needs before he taught them (feeding the multitudes, healing the sick, casting out demons, etc.)

    Too often, people think Christians just want to make themselves feel good by telling them about God but not really caring about them as a person. This is true in far too many cases. The easiest way to fix that problem is creating relationships. This usually starts with meeting someone's physical and emotional needs...many times before they will be open to having their spiritual needs met.

    However, once those physical/emotional needs are met, there has to...repeat HAS TO...be involvement of a spiritual nature. Otherwise, you become a charity (physical needs) or a therapist (emotional needs) instead of a witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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  5. Totally agree Hoss, espcially with your last parapgraph, walking that fine line, and being effective is what we must strive to do

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