Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Acts 16:10

Having heard about the need in Macedonia, Paul “immediately” sought to go to Macedonia to help with the need. That he did so immediately is a great reminder about acting promptly when we are aware of a need we can help with. Why? Because delayed action can easily become inaction. Why is that? Because we are all busy and we sometimes forget. So a simple rule of thumb is that if we sense the Lord prompting us to embark on a charitable act, we are wise to act promptly.

One simple caution is to be sure we are being prompted by the Lord. There are always more requests than there are resources and we can’t do everything. So when becoming aware of a need, ask the Lord if this is a need He wants you to help with. If He says yes, then I suggest acting promptly lest forgetfulness sets in!

One more thing. Paul went to “preach the gospel to them.” Support charitable efforts that are expressly gospel-centered. Most are not, but as believers we must seek do more than to simply be “do-gooders.” We must “offer a cup of cold water, in Jesus’ name!”