Paraphrasing Luke, to whom much is given, much is expected.

I've often said that it's better to do the wrong thing for the right reasons than to do the right thing for the wrong reasons. But. at what point is it okay to be selfish and simply say, "enough is enough"? At what point are you done helping this person because they are using you only for what they can get out of you? Knowing the right thing to do is usually pretty easy, but knowing you are acting on the right reasons is tough. Have you ever caught yourself saying, "I can't believe they did that. After ALL I'VE DONE FOR THEM..."

That thought going through your head is a sure sign that, even if you did the right things (ALL I'VE DONE FOR THEM), it may not have been for the right reasons. Humans fight a life long battle with being selfish. We can be sneaky with our ulterior motives. We do things for others with the thought that, "They would do the same for me". But, what if they wouldn't do the same? Knowing that in advance, would you still help them? Would you still do the "right thing" knowing they wouldn't do the same for you? Are you doing good works or deeds because it makes you feel superior? Are you building up favors like Don Corleone in the Godfather? ("Some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me.") These are good examples of doing the right thing, but for the wrong reasons. I have been giving this a lot of thought lately. At what point do you reach your limit? When do you say to yourself that you aren't really helping someone, but actually enabling destructive behavior? At what point is your help doing more harm than good? These limits are hard enough to define, but think about this one. When do you just simply say, "I've reached my limit with this person because I am human and my generosity has limits."? For me, that's a tough one. If you are reading this expecting to find an answer, I apologize. I don't have the answer. I'm going to give this one more thought.