Mooching vs. True Needs

Ephesians 4:28 says, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” I want to work hard and have a little extra so that I can give to those who really have true needs. As a pastor we often get calls asking for gas or food. It is often difficult to know if the needs are real or if we are just being taken advantage. Because the calls come from strangers it is even more difficult especially as we consider Hebrews 13:2, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
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At the same time I realize that many people are just mooching off the generosity of others. Churches are to be charitable, but there are actually clear guidelines in the scripture for showing charity. Imagine if the majority of the people who came to church refused to work and just tried to live off of the generosity of others. It would not take long before there were not enough resources to go around. A sad result would be the inevitable depletion of resources that should be available for those who really do have needs. Consider the faithful Christian widow with no resources who does not have enough to get by. Imagine if we were not able to help her, because others were constantly mooching.
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Even as we think of the widow, the scripture shows that only certain widows are to be helped on a permanent basis. I Timothy chapter 5 explains that in order to get steady support from the church, a widow must have no children or nephews (it is their responsibility to care for her), she must not have other resources to live off of, she must be godly, she must be over 60 years old, and she must have been charitable herself. Not just any widow is allowed to mooch off the church. If she has true needs, she is not mooching, she is being blessed by the provision of God as she serves in prayer.
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A similar issue was dealt with in the letter to the Thessalonians. Evidently some of them were not working and were mooching off of others so Paul wrote: “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12)
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Paul had taught about this issue when he was in Thessalonica and he had written about it in his first letter to them as well, so this is at least the third time he has brought it up. Evidently, some people still were not listening, so he finally had to say in vs. 14, “And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.”
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In other words we are not to associate with those who are simply trying to mooch off the church. Verse 15, then makes it clear that we are not to consider them enemies, but we are to tell them to do what is right.
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As I write these things, it may be tempting to become cynical about helping others. I pray we not do that. There are those who are not moochers, but who have genuine needs. It may be a medical need or a loss from some tragedy. We should be eager to help with such needs. Let us not forget about verse 13 of the II Thessalonian passage: “But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.”