Christians, where do you draw the line between helping someone and someone taking advantage of you?

Question

does the Bible say anything about this?

Answer 1

That would be judgemental.

Jesus said if asked for you coat, also give them your cloak.

If asked to carry a pack 5 miles, carry it 10 miles.

Seems like Jesus exected us to anticipate being taken advantage of!

Answer 2

Someone taking advantage of a Christian? Get out town. I've had many Christians or people claiming to be "Good" Christians abuse my kindness, oh well. You don't have to be a Christian to be kind and helpful, and you don't have any business drawing lines in the dirt to avoid getting let down , just do your thing and take what life hands you. If you help someone out do they owe you? Give freely and wisely, and your actions are you own reward.

Answer 3

The bible says that you should give "to any man who asks of you."

But I would use "common sense" over the bible in determining something like this. The intricacies and nuances of a relationship aren't going to be given a definitive answer in I Cor.

Answer 4

There is a fantastic book called 'Boundaries' by Cloud and Townsend (Christian AUthors) that explains this biblically. I know that proverbs contains a lot of wisdom in this regard.
Good question, it can be difficult to find the balance between loving someone and rejecting their behaviour.
All the best.

Answer 5

you can never help someone to much. i just got back from a mission trip in mexico and i thought they were taking advantage cause we were on hands and feet for them. but i realized your helping and serving God cause the Bible says love one another. i treat everyone like my brother or sister cause what if that was them.

Answer 6

nicely, i visit work out that none of those are love, that's for particular. i'm no longer particular that's had to entice a glittery line in the definitions, till it really is a felony count. that's all exploitation. Any form of danger, actual or in the different case, is forcible rape to me. it might want to also fall below blackmail, searching on what occurred. Tricking someone might want to be rape to me, yet no longer forcible, so nevertheless dastardly, yet a lot less so. Promising something, yet no longer delivering, does no longer be rape. it might want to be fraud, no longer holding one's end of the agency transaction. likely, the different celebration replaced into keen to pass with the help of with it, in change for the ingredient promised, and replaced into no longer below duress. also, if the promise is something like, "I promise now to not kill your sister in case you try this," then that falls below the danger state of affairs. i'm brushing aside the moral perspective of one of those transaction (prostitution, a perversion of what sex should be for, etc.). Fraud continues to be terrible, ask all and sundry who replaced into swindled by technique of that Madoff guy.

Answer 7

The bible says give to everyone who asks. But I don't. I don't always give to all the beggars on the street. No one does, and I wouldn't believe them if they said they did.

Answer 8

In helping someone our goal is to get them to stand on their own two feet. If they refuse to stand, we need to let them fall.

Alms giving is another story, though. Those people have already fallen.

Answer 9

You don't have to be a doormat; even Jesus said to withdraw yourself from those who will not receive you, but you are to give expecting nothing in return, if that's what you mean.

Answer 10

I help all people,a stranger, the homeless, family, no questions asked, and ask for nothing in return.