Is the act of giving a truly selfless exploit?

Am I my brother’s helper? There is a Bible proverb that says: “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.” Proverbs 3:27 Although this is a Christian book and does refer to people under King David’s rule, I believe it does have a significance to our western “modern” society. Are we bound to help each other? Is it part of our make-up as human beings to assist those in need? As a Christian (not that that elevates me above others) I would wholeheartedly say yes. I am told through scripture to be a “Good Samaritan” and help those around me, whether they be friend or foe. But I do think it’s not as simple as giving “willy nilly”. It’s also not as straight forward as helping others regardless of the consequences. There are pros and cons to offering help or, perhaps more accurately, “dos and don’ts”. Giving can reduce suffering, at very little cost to ourselves. So what is the value of let’s say $20? To an affluent person, it’s a couple of decent sized coffees, fuel for a day’s work or maybe a nice lunch? But for a person in need, it may very well be a day’s worth of food, access to clean water for a month or clothes on their child’s back. In our rich Western culture we have the ability to ease suffering with little impact on our own lives. But should we do this out of a moral obligation? Should our reaction to seeing need and suffering be one of guilt and thoughtless giving? I am not so sure. Although it seems vacuous, giving helps us to become more virtuous. But is an act ever truly selfless? Surely the act of seeking to be a “better person” is a selfish one? And finally giving helps us develop our empathy. Empathy is an ultimate virtue. Only when acting out of empathy can we understand other people. But, that argument makes a separation between obligations and understanding. Basically, if we understand someone and their pains, a moral obligation is then created. Meaning that it is not a moral obligation that we have to help people, but a perception issue. The logic then is flawed since it will leave comprehending up to the individual in question as well as what help they are to act upon to fix what they understand. I do think we are called to help and I do think we need to think how we do help. But when push comes to shove, I would rather be helped in “the wrong way” than not helped at all.