Just Actions???

Micah 6:8 says, "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

Time and again I return to this verse asking the question, "What does it mean to act justly?". If I am living a life of ease and know that there are people around me who are in need am I acting justly? Does it matter the reason for their poverty? This may sound like a strange question, but I will dare to say that there are people who are poor and in need because they don't want to do anything about it. Obviously this does not apply to all cases.

Ironically, I sometimes wonder if the work that we (NGOs) are doing here in Nicaragua is actually helping or if we are really just reinforcing their "look for a handout" mentality. How can I act justly in the face of countless needs and access to limited resources?

Here are a couple concrete examples that are troublesome for me.
Am I acting justly if I do not pay my housekeeper a "livable" wage, even if I am paying a better than typical salary for that type of work? How do I act justly when the drunk comes to my door looking for money or food?

I have had many conversations with a good Nicaraguan friend about "helping" the people, and he always says that when asked for help I should simply say that I don't have anything to give. I think, "Easy for you to say because it is true for you", but I know that he is simply trying to protect me from the "sponge" element of society. However, I cannot forget the verse that says that to whom much has been given much will be required. I have to think that even though I have very little money by US standards I have still been given much.

Recently we had a situation at church where a young lady asked for a loan for bus money to go visit her sick father. We do not know her well, but we have seen her regularly for the time we have been at the church, so wanting to "help", and not being able to honestly say that I did not have, I gave. Later, my friend asked why I had given her the money and warned me that she is not to be trusted. I protested that if there is a genuine need I feel that I am called to help. The catch is, how do I know if it is a genuine need? Of course, when the young lady showed up at church the next Sunday with her hair dyed I had to resist the temptation to be angry.

Did I act justly?