As a therapist I had worked in community transitions for a few months and it is a very difficult population to work with. Many of the homeless are; dually diagnosed mentally ill, substance abusers, or criminal in thought and behaviors.
The Bible tells us the poor we have with us always...
The reason we always have the poor with us is related to transgenerational sins; molestation, living off the governmental systems, and being from a lower-socioeconomic group with few or limited options.
My reason for asking this question is this: Have you ever tired of helping family? You think, "I've helped them so much that they should be able to handle money better, " or they "should be old enough to know better", or they "don't really have a mental illness, they just need to get over it?"
Have you ever witnessed churches, or families who will help everyone else but they have limits to helping their family even though they are helpless for the same reasons as the people you give free meals to and groceries, or pay their utility bills.
What are your opinions and what do you know the Bible says?
Those that can work, need to work to eat. Those that can't need our help, personally and through the church and/or programs.
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If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8 KJV
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 KJV
I will help my family, but in my opinion there is a point when you are no longer helping but simply enabling. I believe that by definition "helping" insinuates that you are only doing some of the work. If ever it gets to the point when you are doing the bulk of the work you are no longer helping, but carrying. In the long run that robs the other person of the ability to walk.
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There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Chuck Norris lives in Houston.
Either the United States will destroy ignorance, or ignorance will destroy the United States. – W.E.B. DuBois
I will help my family, but in my opinion there is a point when you are no longer helping but simply enabling. I believe that by definition "helping" insinuates that you are only doing some of the work. If ever it gets to the point when you are doing the bulk of the work you are no longer helping, but carrying. In the long run that robs the other person of the ability to walk.
And the good looking fat guy in Indiana says AMEN!