There are so many scenarios that could take place that makes us enablers. The family member that can't quit a bad habit but we keep making excuses for them. The child that doesn't apply themselves in school but we keep rewarding them anyway. The friend who can't stop gambling but we keep loaning them money.
The possibilities are endless for the many ways that we "help" people with problems, but are we really helping them or are we enabling them, are we contributing to the problem?
Why is it so hard to just say "no" and mean it? When others draw us into their problems, do we feel it is our Christian responsibility to bail them out?
I've got to admit, I have been guilty of being an enabler. Because I am a fixer type of person, I tend to want to fix things. But not everything is in my realm of responsibility.
At the end of the day, God holds me accountable for my responsibilities. Not yours. Not my kids. Not my friends. Just mine.
"For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body." (2 Corinthians 5:10)
Being an enabler only delays the growth of others. If you are an enabler, it is important to set boundaries and learn where your responsibilities begin and where they end.
God wants each of us to grow in Him, while we do have a certain responsibility to encourage our brothers and sisters in the Lord, God doesn't want us to stand in the way of our growth in Him or anyone else's.
Be an encourager not an enabler. Know the difference.
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