I know a single woman of impeccable reputation who caused a quite a stir by helping a man whose wife had left him and abandoned their two kids. It's a shame, but for lending a helping hand to this overworked and overlooked dad she was rewarded with gossip and slander about her "real" intentions.

We should guard ourselves against compromise as representatives of Christ. But when we make our good reputation the ultimate goal of life we sacrifice our ability to reach out to those in need. Jesus often put His reputation at risk but He remained sure of His mission; to bring honor to the Father. I wonder, should we be willing to do similar things.

As Christians, we must confront the hard realities of life and allow the Spirit within us to minister to those in need.