Helping your neighbor is great, the Bible says to.
It is when your generosity is taken for granted and your act of kindness is unappreciated, that helping them turns into enabling them.

The source of some of our nation’s problems may be just that, people have been enabled far too long. In so, the incorrect fabrication that it is okay to cease ownership of responsibility has corrupted the needy. A disease of laziness and immaturity spreads throughout social classes and generations.

The ones who once reached out with only God’s love in mind begin to blame themselves, thinking they turned an honest person into beggar. Their kind hearts will become stingy, and it is hard to blame them for it.

Resulting, the ones who are truly in need for one reason or another are thrown into the same category as the ones who take no initiative to fix their own problems.

As a mother of one, who is yet but a child, I have difficulty imagining the day I may have to refuse to help him fight a battle in life. Until that day comes, I will earnestly try to bestow unto him an honest character and strong work ethic. I will raise him with love, so that if I ever do feel the need to deny him help, he will know I am not abandoning him. I reference Proverbs 13:24, “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” Discipline is the act of teaching a lesson in a way that will make the receiver regret and analyze their actions. From a childhood spanking to a prison sentence, and back to being denied help, ironically discipline should viewed by it’s receiver as a good thing. As by it’s nature, it only attempts to permeate a strong moral character into the soul it finds itself gifted to.

Take from this what you may, but I believe we should portray God’s love in all we do. We should help our neighbors, yet have a keen eye to the true reasoning behind their requests. Sometimes taking no action may be the best action in the long run. Take nothing for granted, and appreciate every act of kindness shown to you no matter how small it may be. It may be hard to see, but living in a shack is more prideful than living in a castle, if the shack was honestly earned. Nobody owes you help with life’s trials, it is only you that is in charge of where your place is on this big rock where we all reside.

With that said, give back while you can. For what goes around….