What Will Bring Glory?

Honestly, these verses at the end of Matthew have been haunting me.

"when I was thirsty...you gave me a drink of water".
"when I was hungry...you gave me something to eat"
"when I was in jail...you came to visit me"

I read statements about giving to the poor, being the Body, etc etc and the guilt just gets heavier and heavier on my shoulders. But as a song often reminds me "the weight of the world, is on the wrong shoulders. Why do I think that my back is the place for this load"?

What do I do when they are ALL hungry? What do I do when they are ALL in need? Should I just buy down to the street? I read stories about Hudson Taylor or Amy Carmichael and it just adds to the burden. I feel resentful. I feel selfish. I can't even cry about it because if I start crying, someone always has a story harder than mine. So I just sink into a pit of despair. I want to retreat.

However, a comment a dear friend made yesterday got me thinking. She said "Jesus said, the least of my BRETHREN". Oh...his brothers.... So, that made me decide to really read and study this passage that has been haunting me. Hum...novel idea...

So yesterday I took the time and really read that passage. And I was reminded of a few things. For one, its talking about the end times. For two, alot of scholars say that the "brethren" referred to here is probably Jewish people who turn toward Him during that time on earth. For three, JC won't ever tell me "depart from me, I never knew you" Oh I KNOW He knows me. But the thing is, when we do righteous acts, we don't necessarily FEEL righteous. In the passage, the righteous ask him "WHEN did we give you water, etc". That means, they didn't even know what they were doing! Oh...so our feeling don't particularly have anything to do with it...

Relief and freedom filled my heart. Oh good...I am not SUPPOSE to know what I am doing. It helped put things into perspective. I am suppose to give if that means it brings glory to His name. That means I can say no to the random beggars. I can pray for them of course. But I don't have to necessarily buy down to the street unless that is what the Lord calls me to do.

Yesterday, I was sitting with my friend Baby (the one who had the accident). Her face looks good. Her eyes look bright.And you know what she said? She didn't say "oh Cathy, you are awesomely awesome". She said "I give praise to the Lord for His work in my life". And in that moment, I felt the pleasure of God.

What am I suppose to in every situation? I am not quite sure and probably never will be. But I know that I can take a deep breath, press into the hardness of it instead of running away and ask myself "what will bring glory to His name"?