What Does the Bible Say About Helping Your Family
We have all had those moments when a family fellow member asks for coin. And if y'all haven't yous can bet you volition at some betoken.
And if you are anything like me, you want to aid considering you love them. But you lot don't want to make the relationship awkward and y'all don't desire to create any dependence.
I am then glad God has already provided wisdom for us in His Word!
Every bit nosotros all know family relationships can be very complicated, and each situation is different. Just let's expect at a little of what the Bible says about it.
4 things the Bible say about helping your family financially
1. We demand to intendance for our family unit.
Honor your begetter and your mother, equally the Lord your God has commanded you lot.
Deuteronomy 5:16
God instructs children to honor their parents. When do your parents quit being your parents? Well, never. We are to honor our parents our whole lives, including caring for them if they need it.
In that location are some caveats to this which we'll touch on later, just if your parents need your help and you can do then financially, you are encouraged to do so.
Start children off on the mode they should go, and fifty-fifty when they are quondam they will not turn from it.
Proverbs 22:6
Helping your family financially includes providing for your children when they are immature. Information technology as well includes training them in the fashion God commands. We train our children to work diligently, to care for others with kindness, and to give.
Preparation children in Biblical principles surrounding money is an excellent mode to help them grow into self-sufficient adults.
Of form, their monetary decisions will be their own, but if yous can teach them from lessons you've learned, hopefully, their mistakes will exist fewer and less impactful on their financial futures.
Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and specially for their ain household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
1 Timothy v:viii
If any adult female who is a believer has widows in her care, she should proceed to help them and not let the church exist burdened with them, then that the church can aid those widows who are really in need.
1 Timothy 5:16
The starting time verse hither is sometimes used as a weapon amongst family members to guilt another into giving them money.
Just let's look at this verse in context.
Paul is instructing the believers to treat those in their families – namely widows – who needed assistance. Merely some families who had the means to do and then were not, instead expecting the church to care for the widows.
Hither'south the thing: Yep, the church helps widows and those in need, just in that location are often limited resources to do and so. Shouldn't they exist helping the people who take no one else to help them?
Of course, if a family unit member can care for himself or herself, you don't have an obligation to take care of them, just y'all can encourage them in contentment and hard work.
two. It'due south not a adept idea to lend money to family unit members.
Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts. If you have goose egg with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from nether yous?
Proverbs 22:26-27
The Bible really has a lot to say almost co-signing loans – none of which is skillful (if you lot are remotely considering co-signing, click that link and read that article).
And co-signing just happens to exist ane of the most common requests from family unit members. This is non a great idea for several reasons, the near prominent being that y'all are risking the wellbeing of your own household.
In consequence, co-signing a loan is the aforementioned thing equally lending money to a family member. But say no.
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.
Proverbs 22:7
It'due south articulate from Scripture that God isn't a big fan of debt. But what virtually inside families? Is it wise for family members to loan money to one another?
Whenever a loan is prepare inside a family, the human relationship betwixt the ii parties changes. Y'all motility from a family unit relationship to a borrower-lender dynamic.
If yous lend money to your blood brother, how would you feel if he took an expensive vacation earlier paying y'all back?
What about if he never paid you dorsum?
The relationship would most likely be cleaved from both sides – you'd exist resentful that your coin wasn't returned to y'all, and your brother might feel guilty that he never paid you dorsum, so he but stops talking to y'all altogether.
Now, I'm not saying that you should never help your family financially.
But if a situation arises in which someone needs aid, and you have the ways to do so, you tin can ever just give them the coin.
If you lot determine to lend money to a family member, it'southward a proficient idea to put an agreement in writing with a clear repayment schedule and then you lot both sympathize the expectations.
3. Giving to family is good.
"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more than blessed to give than to receive.'"
Acts twenty:35
As Christians, we are encouraged to give generously. There are and so many benefits of giving freely of our abundance. And yep, this tin can include giving to family unit members.
Put yourself in the position of a young developed, fresh out of college. Their pupil loan payments may exist coming up soon, and they're wondering how they're going to make their finances work with an entry-level job.
Wouldn't filling upward their fridge and pantry for them in their new flat be such a blessing for them? Or maybe you lot could purchase them a new piece of furniture for their flat.
If you lot're in a better financial position than they are, the money spent could exist a wonderful way to give of your abundance.
4. Encourage contentment and difficult work amidst your family unit members.
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
God doesn't say He will meet all our wants; He says he volition meet all our needs. Encouraging our family members in contentment is one way we can help them financially.
For even when nosotros were with you, we gave you this rule: "The one who is unwilling to piece of work shall not eat."
2 Thessalonians 3:x
Yes, we can give money to our family members, merely nosotros should as well encourage them to provide for themselves if possible.
It's not fair for developed children to regularly inquire their parents for money to embrace expenses when they are not willing to go a chore and have care of themselves.
For we brought nothing into the world, and we tin can take nothing out of information technology. But if nosotros take nutrient and article of clothing, nosotros will exist content with that.
ane Timothy half dozen:vii-8
There are multiple Bible verses about delectation, but this is typically the first that pops into people's minds. If your family member is truly in need of assist with things like nutrient, wear, and housing, nosotros can certainly assist them.
Merely if they demand money for frivolous things and/or aren't willing to support themselves, you have no financial obligation to gift them the money to pay for these things.
Family relationships are complicated, and every situation is different. Hopefully, this is a start as you prayerfully decide how best to assist your loved ones.
Source: https://seedtime.com/helping-family-financially/#:~:text=Proverbs%2022%3A6,with%20kindness%2C%20and%20to%20give.
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