A budget helps establish boundaries that you want in place.  You have to fulfill the financial commitments you have already made before you start to spend on new commitments. For example you have made an agreement with the electric company when you asked them to provide electricity to your home. If you give money to a homeless person on the street when you can’t pay your electric bill, you are stealing from the electric company and breaking the commitment you made with them. This is stealing and Christians who steal will not prosper. God cannot bless people who steal and break financial commitments they have made. Those unaware of this simple, profound truth will find it difficult to get ahead financially.

If you rent a video when you haven’t paid your house rent, you are stealing from the person from which you rent your house. If you pay your neighbor’s rent when you have not paid your own, you are stealing. Also, in taking responsibility which is not yours, you will interfere with what God is doing in the lives of others. When we try to “save” other people, we often times teach them to be more dependent upon people like us. In fact, often times the recipient ends up resenting us.

To help the poor you can’t be one of them

Boundaries are good! Take care of those inside your boundaries before giving to those outside. God will give you authority only over that for which He has given you responsibility. You have a covenant to provide for your family. You do not have primary responsibility for other children. To help the poor, the best thing you can do is not be one of them. By keeping your commitments, you can bless many children. You cannot save the world when you can’t pay your bills. It doesn’t work that way.