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To do or not to do?

 

Sometimes it is difficult to find the right path as a Christian, where something seems to be the right thing to do, but it enables others to continue to make bad choices. Are we wanting the best for someone if we continue to enable them?

Galatians 6:7 warns us that what we sow, we will reap. We all have a choice as to what we sow.

Sometimes bad choices may be from impulse, from emotional or physical stress, from fatigue, or because of personal comfort. Sometimes bad choices may be from a lack of knowledge. But many times bad choices are made due to immediate gratification. Bad choices are often about self. People’s bad choices may result in poverty, addictions, and long-term consequences.

When someone continually asks for help because of bad choices, when do we say enough?  If parents continue making bad choices that impact their children, is our help for the children enabling them to continue with their chosen lifestyle? How do we therefore support the children who are not only learning a lifestyle of addiction, selfish behaviour, and carelessness with money, but are also suffering because of those choices?

It is a continuing conundrum for me. My heart is for the children, but how can we possibly ignore that it is the result of poor parental decisions or unfortunate choices when our very support of the children enables the ‘responsible’ adult to never learn any consequences? So they then continue with those choices and depend on others to take on the responsibility for the well-being of their children? It is so difficult to know what to do.

Holy Spirit, lead me and guide me in these situations so that my response is Godly. Amen.

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