thanks for stopping by. i couldn't help but read your thoughts here... and i'm beginning to wonder if the secret to obedience is tension; by tension, i mean holding God's commands next to each other and walking between them. for instance, the command you're looking at is basically "give to those who ask." but you're right... how far do we take that? i think God's other commandments clarify that for us. for instance, if someone came and asked for your child... you have to consider God's commands about providing for your family. would giving the child away be a compromise of your responsibility to provide for him/her? what about not provoking your children to anger? if you gave the child away, would that provoke him or her to anger? what about loving your child? would it be the most loving thing, given how children are created to need a family and a sense of security? would giving your child away carry with it the appearance of evil? because we are commanded to avoid that.

along similar lines... what if a xanga user asked for 1,000 dollars? well... you would have to consider whether or not money is an area of weakness for that person (eg. if they have a problem with gambling or some such thing). if it is, to give them the money might cause them to stumble... which is a violation of one of God's commandments. God also tells us to be good stewards of what we have been given; would giving that person 1,000 dollars be exercising good stewardship over the gifts God has given to you? or could it be better used if you gave it to overseas missionary efforts or inner city development projects?

all that said, can i have 1,000 dollars? kidding!!!