Charity Begins at Home
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME
It is an old saying which holds good in every sphere of life, It means that a person’s first duty is to help the members of his own family. Any act of goodness can be in the right direction only if it spreads goodness all around, but a good act must be started from one’s own environment. Everybody should do good to his family members first. Charity to others at the cost of starvation at home cannot be appreciated. If a man ignores his family members and does good to others, he is most likely to be an object of ridicule. The family members are the first charge on one’s resources. If somebody is in a position to do some good or to extend some help or assistance—monetary or otherwise—to others, he must see to it that the members of his family are not left in deprivation. It is only after the needs of the members of the family are fully met, the help and assistance may be distributed among others. Here, too, there is a comparative priority—relations, friends, community circle and so on and so forth.
If we take the case of social reform, a man should first try to introduce reform in his own family. Instead, if without reforming his own family, he tries to reform others, people will not listen to him. He would rather end up in failure. It does not carry any weight if a chain smoker advises others to give up smoking while he himself does not leave the same. It is better if one presents his Own example. Philanthropists donate money to educational institutions, hospitals and orphanages. But before doing so, they must try to satisfy the needs of their family, relatives, friends and com-nunlty. A doctor must attened to the health problems of his own (tolly members before extending medical advice or assistance to
‘Charity begins at Home’ also means that unless a person is to his own family members, he cannot be expected to be good •Others. The reasons are obvious. Family is the core of one’s i is the immediate environment. The first responsibility of II
It is an old saying which holds good in every sphere of life, It means that a person’s first duty is to help the members of his own family. Any act of goodness can be in the right direction only if it spreads goodness all around, but a good act must be started from one’s own environment. Everybody should do good to his family members first. Charity to others at the cost of starvation at home cannot be appreciated. If a man ignores his family members and does good to others, he is most likely to be an object of ridicule. The family members are the first charge on one’s resources. If somebody is in a position to do some good or to extend some help or assistance—monetary or otherwise—to others, he must see to it that the members of his family are not left in deprivation. It is only after the needs of the members of the family are fully met, the help and assistance may be distributed among others. Here, too, there is a comparative priority—relations, friends, community circle and so on and so forth.
If we take the case of social reform, a man should first try to introduce reform in his own family. Instead, if without reforming his own family, he tries to reform others, people will not listen to him. He would rather end up in failure. It does not carry any weight if a chain smoker advises others to give up smoking while he himself does not leave the same. It is better if one presents his Own example. Philanthropists donate money to educational institutions, hospitals and orphanages. But before doing so, they must try to satisfy the needs of their family, relatives, friends and com-nunlty. A doctor must attened to the health problems of his own (tolly members before extending medical advice or assistance to
‘Charity begins at Home’ also means that unless a person is to his own family members, he cannot be expected to be good •Others. The reasons are obvious. Family is the core of one’s i is the immediate environment. The first responsibility of II