You Did It To Me

Recently my daughter, Haley, along with some of the other students in our church participated in World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine. Our students decided to send the money they raised to Mali. In Mali, one in five children die before the age of five due to hunger and malnutrition. In fact, Mali is one of the poorest countries on the planet! I was so proud of our students for participating in this event and for the funds they raised (eight of our students collectively raised in excess of $2100) for the people of Mali.

Although I did not participate in the weekend activities with the students during the 30 hour famine event, I did participate in the actual fast. We went 30 hours without food in order to get an idea of what it was like for literally millions of people around the world who go hungry day after day. Of course, there was one BIG difference: we had juices to drink during our fast. We also knew there was a meal awaiting us at the end of our 30 hours. So although we did become hungry  during those 30 hours we really did not experience what millions experience every day.

Did you know that more than 1 billion people experience hunger on a daily basis? In the last two years, more than 115 million children, women, and men have joined the ranks of the hungry. Worldwide, 1 in 4 children don’t get the nutrition they need.¹  These stats are absolutely heartbreaking! What’s equally disturbing, is that “one in six Americans is fighting hunger.”² Here in America, the land of plenty and prosperity, people are going without food. Recently, a leader of a local food bank said that we not only have a hunger problem but that we have a nutrition problem. He was referencing the county where I live, Carroll County, GA.

So, what’s the answer? Christians need to become aware of the need and then get involved. There are many ways we can help. We can donate food to local food banks. We can serve at a local soup kitchen. We can provide a meal to the person on the street corner holding a sign for help. We can support a child. We can give financially. While there are many worthwhile organizations helping meet hunger needs, the organizations that our family has been blessed to support include: World Vision, SBC’s World Hunger Fund, Samaritan’s Purse, Compassion International.

We would do well to recall the words of Jesus as He described the coming judgment.  
            “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:
                 I was hungry and you fed Me,
                 I was thirsty and you gave Me a drink,
                 I was homeless and you gave Me a room,
                 I was shivering and you gave Me clothes,
                 I was sick and you stopped to visit,
                 I was in prison and you came to Me.’
            “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are You talking about? When did we ever see You hungry and feed You, thirsty and give You a drink? And when did we ever see You sick or in prison and come to You?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was Me—you did it to Me.’

May God help us to live with eternity in view and not forget the “overlooked or ignored!”

¹ Sources: World Food Program, Food and Agriculture Organization
² Source: Feeding America
³ Peterson, E. H. (2002). The Message : The Bible in Contemporary Language (Mt 25:34–40). Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress.