Genuine Charity Begins From Home
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"Charity begins at home," is one of the popular quotes that most of us have heard and used before on several occasions.
I remember the first time I heard the quote was while I was in junior high school, a native politician who was contesting for governorship came to my community for a campaign, after making a lot of promises targeting the needs of the community, at the end of everything he concluded by saying, "Charity begins at home."
Out of curiosity, when I got home that day I asked my siblings what the phrase meant and they explained it to me.
There are different meanings directed to this quote but all point to one thing, which is whatever good intentions we have for society should first be enjoyed within our vicinity. People around us have to touch, feel, and testify of it first before it goes outside to the world.
We live in a hypocritical world, people fake a lot of things just to gain names for themselves. A person can leave his neighbors starving at home and go to the next street and share food with the less privileged. Of what relevance is it if those around suffer and the ones on the street enjoy?
Those around us are our family even though we might not be related biologically. God forbid if anything goes wrong with us today, it's these people that will first come to our rescue.
It is good to practice love and giving, in fact is the best thing anyone can do but it needs to be done well.
No one has the right to tell us how to utilize our resources but when it comes to charity, the evidence that what we are doing is genuine and not a show off is having those around us testifying of the same kind of goodness we render outside.
It baffles me when I see people who claim to be givers and their siblings and neighbors are lacking. You go to other communities to fix bad roads and provide free medical services, food, clothes, and so on but your community is lacking all those things. Isn't that a show-off?
So, if you are starting any work of goodness, if you want to help the needy, first start from where you are. When we become perfect in helping those around us, doing the same thing to outsiders wouldn't be a burden because we would be used to it already. The people around you are your training ground.
You have neighbors who have children who don't have clothes, barely eat twice a day, and have no writing materials. You also have widows and orphans around you, you must not start big, you can start by simply paying them a visit, interacting with them, and knowing what ails them. Be a shoulder for them to lean upon and from time to time support them with whatever you are capable of.
It doesn't sound normal that one is saving lives and giving hope outside but those within, his/her own people are dying and going out of hope. It doesn't make sense.
If you are doing the good work of rendering support and help to people, I really commend your efforts, you will continue to grow from grace to grace, keep the work going but don't forget that as you render help to people outside, render also to those around you. If possible, come and begin with those around you before you go outside.
@rare-gem, @dwixer , come and share your take on the subject of charity with us
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