Bible Question: When it comes to 1 John 3:19 - If you have this world's goods and see that your brother hath a need... My question is, does this apply at all times. Is there ever a time when we should not give? Do you think it is o.k. to give money that is marked for your rent or for a particular bill to a brother even if it may mean getting behind or losing a particular service? What about when you know that something that someone has need of could have been obtained by them but neglected to do what could have been done to get it fairly easily? What about if you know their neglect to do is a consistent one. Is it ever wrong to decline giving but instead giving good and feasable advice on how to get it and, or helping them to get it. |
Bible Answer: hisown_07: We need to exercise wisdom and discernment in determining when to give to others and when not to. There are many things to take into consideration when deciding when to give. Here are two principles to be mindful of. 1. Whenever you do for someone else what they could do for themselves, all you do is create dependency. 2. I've heard it taught that we ought not to interfere too much in the lives of others. The reason is that, as we all know, God uses trials to discipline us for our own good. When we try to rescue others out of their trials and troubles, we may be interfering with what God is trying to teach them. This is not to say that we should never help anyone or that we should just ignore them and let them suffer. An example of this principle is when parents are always trying to bail out their adult children, always trying to spare them the consequences of their own decisions. Far better to let the adult children learn to accept the consequences of their decisions and take responsibility for themselves. Even in our own lives, we sometimes feel troubled and discontented. At those times, the natural desire is to go to the mall, eat at a restaurant, go for a drive -- just get out of the house and stay busy doing something we enjoy. But sometimes that may not be the best thing to do. There are times when we should stay home, turn the TV off, and get alone with God -- reading the Word, praying and seeking God. Grace to you, kalos |