MY TWO PRINCIPLES OF GIVING

At what point is it necessary to set boundaries and turn down someone who needs our financial help despite our natural instinct to assist others?

For those of us living in Nigeria, the fact that things have become really . Everyone is practically struggling to survive and each of us have to understand that. Given the amount of people that ask me for financial assistant on daily basis, I sometimes sometimes wish I have more that I do. I do not know why, but people always think I have more than enough and so they always ask for help; I really wish it is the case. I do not no about you, but I will never give if I do not have. As a matter of fact, I can only give after I have taken care of my most important needs. Do not get me wrong though, there have been cases were I gave people the last money in my account, but I will never feed another to remain hungry.

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I have always believed that charity should know no bound, and that remains my opinion. I am in fact bound to give in as much as my two principles of giving are not violated. The first is that I can only give when I have and the second is that I can only give to the right person. Sometimes though, I do not hold onto the first relentlessly. There are some occasions where I relax it a bit, but that only happens whenever my instincts deem it fit. Let's move on to giving clearer explanations on these two principles of mine.

MY FIRST PRINCIPLE OF GIVING

To determine whether to give or not, I must first make sure that I will not end up begging after giving. As a matter of fact, I can only give when I have. By when I have here, I do not mean when money is in my bank account or when there are provisions and foodstuffs in my house. For me to see it as an obligation to give, I must have that which I can give without becoming completely exhausted. There have been few occasions where I gave my last, but that is not a typical me. I only do that when my instinct deem it fit, and each time it does, there have always been a way out.

MY SECOND PRINCIPLE OF GIVING

Charity is good, but it must always be done rightly and to the right persons. To determine whom I must give, his or her reasons for asking must be critically considered. As a matter of fact, I can only give to a person who really needs that which he or she is asking of. On the other hand, giving to a person who is not really in need is for me a complete waste and that I must not do.

But come to think of it, would one ask if he or she does not need? This might sound a bit tricky, but it is absolutely possible for one to ask even when he or she do not need. There are instances where what people actually reffer to as need really do not matter. I cannot for example give someone money to smoke, gamble or do anything that is not of much value. As far as it does not have to do with the basic needs of man, I consider unimportant and would most likely not help even if I am capable.