I would like to first start off by apologizing for the rant that is going to follow. Some may say the following will seem insensitive. It has been on my mind for quite awhile what I am going to write about. I figure if I put it out there someone can either benefit or get upset with me about it or help me process it.

1. People in need. I see certain people who appear to love to be in need. They are always broke. They are either emotionally broke, or monetarilly broke. But there is no helping them. They reach out for help but they never take any steps themselves.

I will first address money. If you look at every paycheck and you never have enough money to pay your bills and take care of yourself maybe you need to re-examine your current place. Now I am sure someone just yelled that I am being self-righteous. "Bill, you have no freaking clue what it is like!!" I do however know what it's like. I have been on the edge of bankruptcy. I had 2 houses foreclosed upon. I almost lost my job, my sanity, etc etc etc. I had nothing. I have been there. I have had to ask for help myself. But there comes a point where you need to pull yourself up by the bootstraps. I didn't just sit around saying woe is me, I made changes. If you have more bills than paycheck then something has to change. Do you really need everything you have? Do you really need to live where you live? If you answer yes to both of these questions, then there is only one other possible option. You need a better paying job or a 2nd/3rd/4th job. That is it. It is really that simple. You say, "But Bill, I could never work that much!" Then you will need to see one of the first options I gave. I know someday I will be faced with the same choices again, but I hope it will be easier to figure out for me the next time. I am tired of seeing people who hit the same well time and time again with no self-responsibility. YOU NEED TO HELP FIX YOURSELF.

Now for people who are emotionally broke. If you would like to seek help from other people, at some point the people will get tired of you talking about the same problem that you can not deal with. I can talk about your issues all day long, but until you want to do something about it, it will never help. I have seen no one ever just sit and talk about their problems without a solution coming up either. This may seem scary to some people, but sometimes the solution is not a fun solution. You made need to move from where you are at, stop seeing someone you care about, or make other harder choices. If you are willing to help yourself you can be healed. People say that God will heal me when he is ready to heal me. God will definitely help you become whole again but he usually is waiting on you to really want to be healed. I was emotionally broke and stuck in a horrible relationship. An old friend and I had a relationship that had ended. I hoped beyond hope that it would start again so I sat around driving my heart father into the ground. It never happened. I had to eventually let go. God had a better plan for me once I did.

2. People who are just playing the game. People come around all the time just lusting for attention. Everything is always wrong. They hunt for things to be wrong. If nothing is wrong with them, their co-workers brother's nephew's cousin got hit by a bus and needs stitches. It is ok to bring up prayer concerns and things like that but not when you are just grasping at straws people will get bored with you. If you want me to help you with anything I am here for you. If you need something to just throw-up on all the time, there are trash cans for that.

3. People who expect you to devote all of your resources to the bug up their butt.
If you come up with a killer idea that you want to take on, take it on. Don't say, "Yeah I have this great idea that you are going to help me with!". I am not going to take a project you thought up and make it happen for you. I will however help you if I can. If I can does not mean I will be replying to any request telling me I will help you and how I will help you. I am my own person. You may have to get others to help you.

4. People who don't even want help, but expect you to be their crutch. I am still trying to figure this one out. This one is very hard for me, because I was taught to be a nice person. The only way I think these people will change is if I start being a dink to them. These people hunt me down like dogs. They can sniff out that I am the weakest person in the group. I think these people have an instinct that tells them this. They are like a lion waiting for one Zebra who appears to be weak and they pounce! I think as a church we are especially susceptible to this. Would Christ turn these people down?

I am no theologian, but I think at some point Christ would tell these people to take some responsibility for themselves. Your thoughts?