Answer:
Luke 6:30, 35-36
tells us to "give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away
what is yours, do not demand it back." "But love your enemies, and do
good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be
great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to
ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
These verses and many others in the Bible teach us that Christians are
to be loving, merciful, and self-sacrificing. As we see the needs of
people all around us, our hearts should be full of compassion just as
our Heavenly Father has compassion towards all people. "The LORD is good
to all; he has compassion on all he has made" (Psalm 145:9).
It is right to have a heart that would continually give to others, and
it pleases God to see this wonderful characteristic in our lives.
However, in this area of giving and helping, the Bible also teaches that
we must have wise discernment (Matthew 10:16).
God gives us certain standards that we must take into account when it
comes to giving our time and money to others. When the Bible tells us we
are to help others, the purpose is never for us to do this to the point
where it becomes detrimental. It's good to do what we're able to do,
but 2 Thessalonians 3:10
also reminds us, "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." There are
people who want to live an irresponsible lifestyle with absolutely no
accountability. So there must be limits; we will help someone with a
need, but if we see that it's become a chronic life pattern, it's wrong
for us to continue to encourage that. It's very harmful to others to
contribute to their indolence, laziness, and lack of effort. The old
saying "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him to fish and
he eats for a lifetime" is very true. As long as we see that someone is
sincerely making an effort, we should be there to support him in
whatever way God leads.
Often, a much more effective way to help others is to come alongside
them to give biblical council, principles and encouragement. If they are
willing to listen and try, they should be able, through the power of
the Holy Spirit within them, to reverse this pattern of dependency on
others. This begins, of course, with a clear presentation of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, without whose empowerment, lifestyle changes of this
magnitude are not possible.
We are also to take into consideration what the Bible tells us about
being good stewards. As we put our trust in God and walk with Him, He
promises to supply our needs (Philippians 4:19).
What the Lord provides for us, we must use wisely. We are to give back
to the Lord a portion of what He gives us; we are to provide for the
needs of our families; and we are to pay our bills. How we spend our
time is also involved in stewardship; a balance of worship, work and
family is important. These are all principal aspects of stewardship and
cannot be neglected, so they must be considered in the decision of how
and what we can do in helping others. If, by helping someone else
financially, we are unable to take care of our own debts and
responsibilities, then we are not doing right in our efforts to help.
There are many ways people can take advantage of others. It's important
that we make this a matter of prayer, asking the Lord to show us what He
wants us to do. He will give us wisdom to recognize genuine need and
discern between an opportunity and a distraction (James 1:5).
Sometimes, people are so beaten down by life's trials and failures that
they need someone who is willing to be a long-term friend to them. This
can be a trying relationship, but it can also be a very rewarding one.
Local churches can be a tremendous help to those with a burden for those
in need. However, trying to help someone who is just not willing to
take any steps towards a solution in the matter may be a hopeless cause.
Again, praying for God’s wisdom and exercising the discernment He gives
are crucial in these situations.
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