The Bible says in Leviticus 25:17(NIV)
Do not take advantage of each other,
but fear your God, I am the Lord your God.
We as Christians are to follow Christ's example by serving and
having compassion for those in need.
But sometimes we as Christians get treated as pushovers and
taken advantage of by the people we are trying to help.
Jesus was not a pushover, he did not let others take advantage of
him. Jesus modeled Godly service and set healthy boundaries.
So if we follow his example, and seek guidance from the Holy Spirit,
we can do the same, and not be taken advantage of.
First we should pray and ask the Holy Spirit, so we will know when
and how to help.
Second we offer them our service as a hand up, not a hand out. We
are not to support someone who isn't willing to help themselves, they
have to learn responsibility.
Third we should offer resources and encourage them to break the cycle of
dependency, so they will be able to give back and help others. We want to
help them in the long run, not just a today fix.
Fourth share the gospel, the person is only going to experience authentic
and lasting change through a relationship with Christ. If they are willing
to listen and try, and reverse this dependency on others
Fifth don't neglect your own responsibilities. We should manage our own
household first, our finances, our time, so that we can take care of our bills
and care for the ones in our household.
Even Jesus took time to rest and be alone to pray. He knew that he had to
take care of himself so that he could serve others effectively.
Follow the model Jesus set for us, the main focus is helping them find
a relationship with God, transforming their hearts and renewing their minds.
The bottom line is we should help out in crisis or in need, but if they
are constantly coming to you for help, that is taking advantage of your
kindness, and that is not OK. Let them know, it's a one time deal, and
give them resources to help them and most importantly tell them about
Jesus, and help them build a long lasting relationship with the one who
can guide them and teach them on how to live a Godly life. We need to
have wise discernment.
When the Bible tells us we are to help, we are not to do this to a point
where it's detrimental, some people live an irresponsible lifestyle with
no accountability. So there has to be limits, help someone, but if it
becomes a chronic life pattern, it is wrong for us to continue to help.
It is actually harmful to contribute to their lack of effort or change.
We need to encourage them to make an effort to change.
If someone is not willing to take any steps towards a solution, it's a
hopeless cause, and they are taking advantage of you, because it's
easier to get someone else to do the work than for them to change.
The Lord provides for us, so we must be wise, and give back to him.
We are to provide for the needs of our families, that means your own
household, not your entire family line, each household is responsible for
their own household.
Let's use discernment and wisdom so we can make wise decisions!
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