Balancing Compassion and Responsibility in Christian Charity

Good day, brothers and sisters in Christ. Today, we come together to seek God’s wisdom on a matter close to His heart—how we, as His people, are to approach work and charity. The Bible, our unchanging guide, speaks clearly on these topics. It calls us to care for those who cannot provide for themselves—widows, orphans, and the truly poor—while also warning against supporting those who can work but choose not to. As a people committed to honoring God’s Word, we must understand and live out these teachings with faithfulness and discernment, reflecting both His love and His call to responsibility.

Caring for Those Who Cannot Work

Let us begin with God’s command to show compassion. The Scriptures leave no doubt about our duty to the needy. In James 1:27, we read, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." This is a powerful charge—our faith is not just words, but action. Caring for those who cannot care for themselves is a mark of true devotion to God.

Turn also to Deuteronomy 15:7-8, where the Lord instructs, “If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need." God calls us to generosity, to open our hands to those who, through no fault of their own, face hardship. And in Proverbs 19:17, we find a beautiful promise: "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done." When we help the helpless, we are serving God Himself. This is the heart of Christian charity.

Encouraging Responsibility and Diligence

But the Bible does not stop there. It also speaks plainly about work and the danger of idleness. In 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12, Paul writes, "For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.’ We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat." These are strong words! Paul was addressing a problem in the church—people who could work but wouldn’t, expecting others to carry their load. God’s Word says no to that. Those who are able but unwilling should not be enabled in their laziness.

We see this same truth in Proverbs 10:4: "Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth." Diligence is God’s way; idleness is not. And in 1 Timothy 5:8, the warning is even sharper: "Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." Work is not just about survival—it’s about responsibility, about honoring God by caring for those He has entrusted to us. To ignore this is to turn away from our faith.

Applying Biblical Wisdom Today

So how do we balance these teachings? We must be compassionate, yes, but also wise. Our charity should lift up the helpless, not prop up the idle. This takes discernment, prayer, and a firm commitment to God’s Word.

Today, we hear echoes of these principles all around us. Some point to 2 Thessalonians 3:10 and rightly remind us that work matters—it’s God’s design for providing for ourselves and others. Others might suggest this verse is just about community effort, but when we read it alongside Proverbs 10:4 and 1 Timothy 5:8, the message is clear: God expects those who can work to do so. This isn’t harsh—it’s holy. Work gives us purpose and keeps us from the sin of slothfulness, as we’re warned in the Scriptures.

A Call to Faithful Action

What does this mean for us, here and now? First, let us keep our hearts and hands open to those who truly cannot work—the elderly, the sick, the orphaned. Our church must be a place where they find God’s love in action, where their needs are met with kindness and grace.

Second, let us encourage those who can work to do so. This might mean offering practical help—training, guidance, or opportunities—so they can stand on their own feet. We don’t enable idleness; we empower diligence. By doing this, we honor God’s plan for human flourishing.

And finally, let us see our own work as worship. Colossians 3:23-24 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Every task we undertake, every effort we make, is for Him. That’s the Christian life—serving God through both our charity and our labor.

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, God’s Word gives us a clear path: care for the needy, uphold the dignity of work, and do it all for His glory. Let us pray for wisdom to know the difference between genuine need and avoidable dependence. Let us act with love and truth, building a community that reflects Christ’s heart. May our lives show the world what it means to follow Him faithfully.

 Amen.

DMMc 6/20/25