These are some tips for Christians to think about.
Get involved in church activities, but don't get involved in church gossip. Participating in church events can be a great way to help your community, but gossiping about people will not help them, in fact it may make things worse for them. This is a place to use the golden rule.
It says love thy neighbor, not smother thy neighbor. It's great that you want to be a good friend to someone, but you need to know your boundaries. If someone really needs help, you may turn them away from that help if they feel you are trying to be controlling. Be accessible, not overbearing. The golden rule applies here too.
We all have had or do have issues that need to be worked through or advice for, be careful who you let in on these things. If you feel you need to be prayed for and tell the wrong person, the whole community may know your issue. If it's something you need real advice for, go to someone you honestly trust that will keep your things private. For the majority of the public be general, give the details to Jesus.
It's great to donate to an organization, but do your research. Some people give out money like water when they believe that the people asking for the money are representing God and what He wants. A lot of times these people are just abusing that human nature of wanting to help and do the right thing, it's terrible, but true. Make sure you really know what your money is going for. If your money is supposed to help poor families, sick kids or build a church, then check into it. The last thing you would want is to find out that the person bought a Ferrari with everyone's donations.
Church is a great place to volunteer and help out, but not the only place. Don't get stuck into thinking that is the only way to help your community. You need variety and change as you would with any other aspect of your life. You can volunteer at a homeless shelter where your church isn't connected, spend time with the elderly, join an animal rescue or pet adoption program or many other things.
These tips are really just common sense, but sometimes we get caught up in things and forget to take a step back and look at the whole picture. That's all this really is, slow down and use your God given ability to discern from what you should or shouldn't do.
Very nice list to review on a constant basis.
I just had #2 happen to me and it ended up to be a strained relationship now since they did not know boundaries and I did not stop the smothering either. Great Christian list to review more than daily.
select one here...