Responding to the Needs of Others

“Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.” (Proverbs 3:28).
Why would a man tell his neighbor to come back tomorrow for something he could easily give him today? At the very least, the man lacked compassion, and at worst, he was selfish and dishonest. My guess is the man really didn’t want to give his neighbor anything, and by putting him off, he hoped the neighbor would forget to return or would no longer need what he had been seeking. What the selfish neighbor failed to recognize was the amount of pride his neighbor had to swallow in order to ask for help. Most men are so prideful that if you turn them down once after they have come to you for help, they won’t likely ask for your assistance again. Perhaps this is what the selfish neighbor wanted. Notice that the favor was not an inconvenience. The word says the man clearly had it by him. In other words, the man would not have been hurt in any way if he had given his neighbor what he requested. I have known men who used their wealth and blessings to feed their sense of power and self-importance. If someone asked for assistance, even if it was easily in their power to help, they would practically force the person to beg and grovel. Men of God, selfishness and lack of compassion are traits that ought not to be named among us. We should respond to the needs of others in the same manner the Lord has granted our necessities- with grace and mercy. “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10).