We have all heard the stories. The cost of food is on the rise. So is the price of gas and electricity. The bad news? Many people’s incomes have not risen enough to make up the difference, and inflation may only get worse before it gets better. The good news is that you can be a blessing by donating supplies or sharing what you have on hand.

Giving Is Biblical

God wants us to give. Proverbs 3:27 (KJV) tells us, “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.” If you have some extra money, then it is within your power to help those in need.

It is not as though young people are not already known for giving. A 2020 study from Zelle found nearly 3 out of 4 millennials sent some kind of financial aid to family and friends or donated to a nonprofit since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Charitable giving has become so common amongst young people that Forbes Council Member Joe Fisher said in 2021 they are “revolutionizing the philanthropic world.”

Do not worry about what you are getting in return or have received from those people in the past. In Acts 20:35, Paul tells a group of people to help the weak and remember the words of Jesus that ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive.’ Whatever you do, do it cheerfully because “...God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7 KJV).

Members of the early Church took care of one another

As the early Church was growing in number, so was the number of people sharing things. Study Bibles will give you all kinds of reasons for this, saying they were persecuted and wanted to ensure they had things to eat and drink. Some people believe that early Christians were socialists. The bottom line is that people were sharing what they had with other people. Moreover, they were sharing what they had with their brothers and sisters in Christ. Engage with people in your church congregation. Ask them how things are going at home. If at some point you can determine whether they could use some help, be the help. It is not about you. It is about helping others. That is why some people define "JOY" as “Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last.”

Everyone is your neighbor (including those who are not saved)

Speaking of others, every person in your town, state, nation, and the world is your neighbor. This includes people you do not get along with, and people that you might view as “enemies.” We know this from the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). The “good” guy in the parable was a Samaritan who helped a Jewish man. Samaritans and Jews did not get along. Still, the Samaritan saw fit to help the Jew after he was beaten and robbed, and left for dead.

There are many people in this world we do not agree with, but that does not mean we ignore them when they are in a bad way. In Psalm 35, David speaks of fasting and praying for people that sought to do him harm when David heard they were ill. We can pray for people in need. We can also fast, share, and be good neighbors. It’s what God wants us to do for Him and others.