Friday, April 04, 2014

Indiscriminate Giving and Misdirected Compassion

“Let it be pointed out, however, that God requires us to use discretion and discrimination in the bestowments of charity. There is a class of shiftless idlers who are ever ready to impose upon the compassionate and generous hearted, and make the benevolence of others a reason for their own indolence. It is positively wrong to encourage those who seek to subsist on the liberality of others, instead of earning their own bread. Indiscriminate giving often does more harm than good. It is our bounden duty to go to the trouble of properly investigating each case on its own merits, instead of allowing our sentiment to override our judgment. God Himself has said,
“This we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10),
and it is sinful for us to negate that by giving money to able-bodied loafers.”

~Arthur Pink, "An Exposition of Hebrews"

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