Should Christians charge for services rendered?

[Guest Butero]

 FDSA

Thanks everyone for your replies. 
The concern was, that it was brought to my attention - that I shouldn't charge for my tutoring services. I do this to make a living (in addition to the charger sales etc). Now have I given away services as I feel led? Or course, even have given away chargers as I feel led. Was just feeling uncertain fully on charging on a regular basis.

Thanks guys

Hawkeye, if you need to make a living, of course you should charge for your services.  If someone needs your helo and cannot pay you then you should offer your service for free....IF YOU CAN.  Don't let anyone make you feel guilty about earning a living for yourself and your family.

You know MorningGlory, I don't spend much time in chat, and I don't know what all was said here that had to be removed, but I cannot imagine anyone would attack Hawkeye for charging for a legitimate service.  This doesn't even seem like something that would be controversial.  As far as helping someone for free, you only have so many hours in the day, so you would have to do that based on the leading of the Lord if it were even possible to find the time.  Maybe there is more to this than I am aware of, but based on the comments in the OP, and the service she is providing, I just don't know why anyone would attack her. 

[Steve_S]

The removed posts were directed at no one in the conversation currently, that much I can say :).

[Hawkeye]

 FDSA

Thanks everyone for your replies. 
The concern was, that it was brought to my attention - that I shouldn't charge for my tutoring services. I do this to make a living (in addition to the charger sales etc). Now have I given away services as I feel led? Or course, even have given away chargers as I feel led. Was just feeling uncertain fully on charging on a regular basis.

Thanks guys

Hawkeye, if you need to make a living, of course you should charge for your services.  If someone needs your helo and cannot pay you then you should offer your service for free....IF YOU CAN.  Don't let anyone make you feel guilty about earning a living for yourself and your family.

You know MorningGlory, I don't spend much time in chat, and I don't know what all was said here that had to be removed, but I cannot imagine anyone would attack Hawkeye for charging for a legitimate service.  This doesn't even seem like something that would be controversial.  As far as helping someone for free, you only have so many hours in the day, so you would have to do that based on the leading of the Lord if it were even possible to find the time.  Maybe there is more to this than I am aware of, but based on the comments in the OP, and the service she is providing, I just don't know why anyone would attack her. 

Oh , you have not been in chat ... no. I'm not being attacked on this thread,  I had an encounter in chat (I'm not mentioning names at all), that came after me for charging for my services. This was admittedly a couple of weeks ago, but it still bothered me-- so thought I would get opinions from the group members.

[missmuffet]

 FDSA

Thanks everyone for your replies. 
The concern was, that it was brought to my attention - that I shouldn't charge for my tutoring services. I do this to make a living (in addition to the charger sales etc). Now have I given away services as I feel led? Or course, even have given away chargers as I feel led. Was just feeling uncertain fully on charging on a regular basis.

Thanks guys

Hawkeye, if you need to make a living, of course you should charge for your services.  If someone needs your helo and cannot pay you then you should offer your service for free....IF YOU CAN.  Don't let anyone make you feel guilty about earning a living for yourself and your family.

You know MorningGlory, I don't spend much time in chat, and I don't know what all was said here that had to be removed, but I cannot imagine anyone would attack Hawkeye for charging for a legitimate service.  This doesn't even seem like something that would be controversial.  As far as helping someone for free, you only have so many hours in the day, so you would have to do that based on the leading of the Lord if it were even possible to find the time.  Maybe there is more to this than I am aware of, but based on the comments in the OP, and the service she is providing, I just don't know why anyone would attack her. 

Oh , you have not been in chat ... no. I'm not being attacked on this thread,  I had an encounter in chat (I'm not mentioning names at all), that came after me for charging for my services. This was admittedly a couple of weeks ago, but it still bothered me-- so thought I would get opinions from the group members.

Are you happen with the opinions on here?

[Hawkeye]

 FDSA

Thanks everyone for your replies. 
The concern was, that it was brought to my attention - that I shouldn't charge for my tutoring services. I do this to make a living (in addition to the charger sales etc). Now have I given away services as I feel led? Or course, even have given away chargers as I feel led. Was just feeling uncertain fully on charging on a regular basis.

Thanks guys

Hawkeye, if you need to make a living, of course you should charge for your services.  If someone needs your helo and cannot pay you then you should offer your service for free....IF YOU CAN.  Don't let anyone make you feel guilty about earning a living for yourself and your family.

You know MorningGlory, I don't spend much time in chat, and I don't know what all was said here that had to be removed, but I cannot imagine anyone would attack Hawkeye for charging for a legitimate service.  This doesn't even seem like something that would be controversial.  As far as helping someone for free, you only have so many hours in the day, so you would have to do that based on the leading of the Lord if it were even possible to find the time.  Maybe there is more to this than I am aware of, but based on the comments in the OP, and the service she is providing, I just don't know why anyone would attack her. 

Oh , you have not been in chat ... no. I'm not being attacked on this thread,  I had an encounter in chat (I'm not mentioning names at all), that came after me for charging for my services. This was admittedly a couple of weeks ago, but it still bothered me-- so thought I would get opinions from the group members.

Are you happen with the opinions on here?

Oh yeah I got the answers LIke I said in my prior post

[gdemoss]

Great question!

Money is a terrific way to expose the heart of a person.  In the old Testament we find that their was a particular currency accepted there.  Lots of examples of wealth and things.  In the New Testament we see Paul offer to pay anothers debt.  We see others Pay for Pauls expenses.  Paul collected money to take to Jerusalem during hard times.  He adminished them to lay up on store as God had prospered them each week.  The idea of working for a living is throughout the whole bible.

What I would like to address is that there is a time when it is evil to give.  There is a time when giving something away only hurts the receiver and does not edify.  A time when money and things are only used to make slaves out of those who receive.  All such giving is an abomination for the giver has the intent of enslaving the recipients.  For this cause Jesus will once again cast out the money changers and those who sell doves.  He came to free the captives yet men have once again come in to make slaves.

 

[enoob57]

To place in proper context this topic:

Luke 20:25
   And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
NKJV

2 Peter 3:10-11
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing
then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
KJV
I believe that it is the leading of the Lord  for everyone to follow Him in the path of life... however one should examine the
lasting qualities of what their hearts are fixed upon here... for where your hearts is becomes the issues that are in life or
death... if you set your heart upon that which ends-> what then is left of your heart to continue?  Love, Steven
 

[BlindSeeker]

I'll use three verses for my response.

Exodus 20:17 - Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

The Tenth Commandment basically tells us that we must respect our neighbors right to private property, which to me would also include our neighbor's God given right to privacy. Therefore, if private property is recognized within the law of God it should be evident that all private property, personal talents and thoughts are things that individuals possess and have the right to engage others with in order to barter for an exchange of property, service and or ideas. However, these personal property/privacy rights are also responsibilities whereby the possessor of these things are required to be faithful stewards so as not to cause harm to either their own or neighbor’s property.

 1 Timothy 5:18 - For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

Clearly, if an animal is worthy of compensation for services rendered, how much more the Christian servant who offers his services to meet the needs of others?

Proverbs 16:11 - A just weight and balance are the LORD'S: all the weights of the bag are His work.

However, as Christians we should be careful to assure the compensation matches the services rendered. Don't defraud the laborer or overcharge the client. 

[udx]

My answer would be..

Of course! Why shouldn't a Christian be paid for services rendered?
Why don't you ask it this way, should a Christian store sell products for free? Of course not. Services like products are valuable combination of time and talent why should they be provided for free.

If you would like to provide services for free, it would be like a donation or charitable act and it would be at your discretion, but the norm is to get paid for services rendered.

 

 

Edited August 28, 2015 by udx

[Guest Butero]

My answer would be..

Of course! Why shouldn't a Christian be paid for services rendered?
Why don't you ask it this way, should a Christian store sell products for free? Of course not. Services like products are valuable combination of time and talent why should they be provided for free.

If you would like to provide services for free, it would be like a donation or charitable act and it would be at your discretion, but the norm is to get paid for services rendered.

 

 

The thing is, this is one of the simplest questions I have heard asked.  It should be a no brainer, so I am amazed it was ever controversial, and anyone thought it was wrong to charge for a legitimate service.