Charity is often equated to giving to those in need. While this certainly is Charity, it is merely a part of it. When you help others, you are demonstrating the virtue of Charity, but it so much more than that.
Charity is a theological virtue, meaning it is one that is essential for Christianity, but not necessary for non-believers (though it is probably a good idea for everyone to practice it). Charity these days is what we may refer to as love for your fellow man. It is love in the general sense and it is part of the second commandment Jesus gave us when he said, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (though I think this was in the Torah too).
In the old English, this kind of love was referred to as Charity. Somewhere along the way, our usage of the English language changed, as most languages do, and we began equating the word “charity” as giving money to the needy. Again, this certainly does qualify as love for your fellow man, but it is only a small portion of the scope by which you can practice the virtue of Charity.
For Christians, the virtue of Charity is essential for us when relating to the rest of the world. There have been countless individuals who have rejected the Gospel because of the behavior of Christians. I’ve heard a story, probably not true, where Ghandi went to a church while he was seeking and said to himself when he left that he really like this man Jesus but not his followers. True or not, it does drill home the importance of Charity as a theological virtue and it’s necessity.
Being a Charitable Christian means you must love everyone, even if you don’t really like them. To “like” someone in this day and age usually means you share their interests or find that person pleasant to be around. It is a relational comparison where you “like” someone more than you “like” another person. Within clergy (and probably church inner circles), people who are difficult to “like” are labeled “EGR” which means “Extra Grace Required.” While this seems a little insulting, our charge is love our neighbor no matter how exasperating he or she can be.
The essence of Charity is to be a servant to your fellow man. The Parable of the Good Samaritan was probably the best example that Jesus could provide that exemplified this virtue. But there are always smaller things you can do to be charitable to other people. I’ll leave it up to you to figure them out, but they are all fairly obvious, even if you are sociopath.
Charity is an essential virtue for Christians. It is probably the theological virtue that deals with our relationships outside of God. This virtue gives us the tools we need to spread the Gospel. People generally don’t respond well to being told they’re going to Hell. They don’t enjoy being told that their actions are evil and sinful. They don’t like it when you bring up Jesus is unrelated topics of conservation.
But when you practice Charity, people wonder and ask why you are doing that. And you can simply respond that you are practicing what Jesus taught you and doing the best you can to follow His example. That way, they will seek Him out of their own accord and you’ll have the satisfaction of leading them there. Even if they don’t accept Him as Lord, you can at least find satisfaction in knowing that you were given a chance to provide someone else a path to salvation.
In the end, that’s really what is important in this life.