Near the end of his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul gave instructions regarding how they were to gather funds to do the work of the church: “On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come” (1 Corinthians 16:2). These instructions were not unique to Corinth; instead, Paul gave the same instructions to other churches as well (1 Corinthians 16:1).
One of the principles we see here is one of preparation. Paul did not want to arrive and the brethren decide then to take up one large contribution for the needy saints in Jerusalem. He wanted them to be giving “on the first day of every week” so that their gift would be ready when he arrived.
It is one thing to have a desire to do good and help those who are in need. However, it is another thing to make a plan and prepare to do what we intend to do. Whether we are talking about what churches do (collective action) or what we do as individuals, we need to work to put ourselves in a position to help when needs arise rather than just hoping we can do something when those opportunities inevitably present themselves to us.
So make preparations to do good. Helping others and carrying out good works is about more than just noticing opportunities when they arise. We need to work hard and save so that we are in a position to do the most good we can.