What to Give a Bum

Do you ever struggle with giving the homeless guy at the bottom of the exit ramp with holding a sign twenty dollars in cash? I mean after all, we know he is probably going to go and buy booze and cigarettes with it right?

We just finished up a Bible study where one of the participants shared a story about how he learned about God's grace through a co-worker as it pertains to this question. It seems this person and his co-worker came out of a dining establishment to be greeted by a homeless person who had obvious signs of alcohol abuse in his face (bloodshot eyes etc.). The man's coworker gave the homeless guy thirty dollars after he asked him if he could spare any money.

Once back in the car our Bible study participant asked him why he did that- didn't he know the guy was probably going to spend it on booze. To which the coworker responded to the effect that "yeah it is just kind of like when we receive grace- we go and blow it all the time. Yet God keeps giving it. That is offensive grace." How many times do we take the grace given to us and go buy booze and cigarettes with it? Yet, God keeps showering us with his grace. If we are to be Christ to others what does that mean for us when we are faced with the question of whether we should give money to the poor guy on the street because he might buy booze and cigarettes with it. I guess there is a chance he won't. I guess we should take the chance that he won't buy booze and cigarettes. It is the same chance God takes on us as he pours out grace upon grace on us.