The Bible asks, “For who has despised the day of small things?” (Zech. 4:10) And yet, there are too many people who do. They feel the need for the establishment of a huge bureaucracy in order to care for the truly needed.

Many will appeal to the Bible in an attempt to make the case that government welfare is a biblical command.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Charity is personal and local as the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) shows and Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:

“For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me” (vv. 35-36).

It does not say, “and Caesar gave Me something to eat,” because civil governments don’t have anything to give.

Here’s a story of small acts of charity that result in huge results of appreciation and help at Rosa’s Fresh Pizza:

Some pizza restaurants decorate the walls with signed photos of minor local celebrities who once stopped by for a slice.

At Rosa’s Fresh Pizza in Philadelphia, the shop is adorned with Post-it notes and letters. The messages are from customers who gave $1 so homeless members in the community could get a slice, which costs $1.

“The homeless, they come in and say, ‘I hear you give out free pizza to homeless people,’ owner Mason Wartman tells The Salt.

The pay-it-forward pizza program started about a year ago, Wartman says, when one paying customer asked if he could buy a slice for a homeless person. “I said, ‘Sure.’ I took his dollar and ran out and got some Post-it notes and put one up to signify that a slice was purchased,” he recalls.

Then there’s the story of six-year-old Jaden Hayes who lost both of his parents at a young age. But he is determined to live life with joy. As Steve Hartman shows us, the six-year-old is embarking on a mission to turn frowns into smiles.