Do the Poor Have to Act Righteous Before We Help Them?

I've read a few posters and articles online concerning giving to the poor. These posters usually say something about how if a person won't work, or if they smoke and drink, then Christians shouldn't help them.

I've thought this over a few times. I have given to people who I know are probably going to waste the money. I talked with God about this last week and here is what I believe he said to me, "I give and give and most of what I give is wasted. But I still give."

That's good enough for me. And I can see it all the time! He gives me money and I buy an un-needed scarf, earrings, candy, movie, picture frame, craft kit, soda pop, an extra purse, another pair of shoes, another pair of jeans, another blouse when I already have 15.  All the money I have spent on things I don't need could feed a village.

Jesus once said, "If you have two coats, give one away." Plain language. I've tried to do that with coats. If I get a new winter coat, I give my old one away. But, of course he didn't mean just coats. He meant everything. I keep too much; I don't give enough.

My mother knew a man at her church in California. He was very wealthy. He gave away 90% of what he made. This man is a beautiful example of what a rich man can do. But most of us can do more than what we do. C.S. Lewis said to give until it hurts. That's when you are really giving.

Pure Religion.

"A religion that is pure and stainless according to God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:27

Orphans and widows were the neediest people in ancient times. They had no man to provide for them and if their families did not help then they would be in real trouble. 

"With minimal, if any, inheritance rights, she was often in a "no-man's land." She had left her family, and with her husband's death the bond between her and his family was tenuous. ...Nonetheless, the loss of a husband in ancient Israel was normally a social and economic tragedy. In a generally patriarchal culture, the death of a husband usually meant a type of cultural death as well. Although the denotation of widow referred to a woman whose husband had died, because of the social context the word quickly acquired the connotation of a person living a marginal existence in extreme poverty.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/widow.html

Our belief in God should move us to help the suffering and needy wherever we see them. There are many agencies where we can donate money to help the poor.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

...to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction; and not only to see them, and speak a word of comfort to them, but to communicate to them, and supply their wants, as they may require, and according to the ability God has given: where there is true religion in the heart, there is love to God; and where there is love to God, there is love to the saints; and this will show itself to them, in times of affliction and distress; and where this is wanting, religion itself is not pure and undefiled.

...and to keep himself unspotted from the world: from the men of the world, who defile by their evil communications; and "from the vices of the world", as the Arabic version renders it, which are of a defiling nature; and, where religion is in its power and purity, and the Gospel of the grace of God comes with efficacy, it teaches to separate from the rest of the world, and to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly.

I do feel "spotted" or defiled by evil communications, as Gill wrote. I got a biography from the library but the author used Jesus name as a swear word and I felt bad so quit reading it. If I watched a TV show and the jokes were about sex, I felt defiled. People hopping in and out of bed is so common on TV now and that left me feeling defiled. Also, if there was a bad guy in a show then I was hoping someone would shoot him! Yep, I'm giving up on TV.