When you take advantage of a person who is suffering financially you are not being a witness of God’s goodness. When someone is hurting and you fiercely push him to sell you possessions he desperately needs for pennies on the dollar, you must ask yourself whether you could have been a better witness by refusing to purchase items that are necessary for his day to day living or by providing temporary help that leads him out of the ditch.
It is a different matter when he decides, without your pressure, that he needs to sell material goods in order to be a good steward and to financially care for the higher priorities according to God’s design for life. Let the person make the decision that things of value need to be sold instead of putting any pressure on him. In this instance, you refuse to allow envy and covetousness to take root as you look at his bad financial situation. Buying his unnecessary material goods in this scenario help you maintain pure intentions and could help him obtain money to pay for products and services that are necessary.
If he only has items of value necessary for life and godliness, then it is best to act as a Good Samaritan gifting him what you can, rather than seeking to make your life more comfortable and pleasurable by taking his necessities through purchases and loans / usury interest that you are well aware he is unlikely to be able to pay all the while thinking this scenario will give cover to your evil designs to take what God has given him to steward.
No doubt you shouldn’t purchase products and services from him that are sinful in nature or that lead to sinful activities. It is not Christ-like to purchase anything that leads to the undermining of gospel preaching and teaching at home and around the world. Finally, you should not purchase anything that will take you or anyone else away from a regularity of daily bible reading, prayer, and weekly fellowship with the saints.
For example, if you know that he has a set of collectible magazines that would fetch a hefty price in the market yet contain ungodly themes and lifestyle encouragements, then you need to fore go that purchase no matter how much it seems the money could help him. Unless of course you will immediately buy, shred, and throw them away so that you and no one else will ever be negatively affected or cursed by them.
Please pray for this ministry and email any questions. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Nehemiah 5:7-12, Proverbs 16:2-5, Luke 10:25-37, 1Corinthians 8:9, James 4:17, 5:1-6
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
You can find books authored by Randy and Karen Parlor at www.Amazon.com
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