In 2 Thessalonians 3:10, Paul also warns us about these "freeloaders" who take advantage of to live off of others despite being capable of earning their own living: "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you:
that if any would not work, neither should he eat."
Jesus also tells his disciples in Matthew 10:16, to "
be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves,"
@Brother_Kane, I truly commend your willing to be generous to those who are needy; but because we ourselves are not without limited resources, we do need wisdom to properly discern how to allocate our resources. By giving money to those who would abuse it (e.g. using it to buy drugs), we are actually enabling them to bring more harm to themselves and perhaps others, and we are cutting ourselves short of the resources we could have given to others who actually do
need the help.
If you are not sure about whether you should continue to give to this particular person, is there a way you can get to know about his circumstances (why he needs the money, etc.), so that you can make a better informed decision on this? I don't think this is something that can be answered by principles alone.
If it turns out that he really needs the money, then by all means continue to support him. But if he is just a moocher trying to take advantage of you, then your falling for his deceit won't help him in any way. And I trust that you are genuinely trying to help, and not simply trying to pat yourself on the back for doing a good deed.
God Bless.
