Through a Glass Darkly

Real ministry to the poor demands ultimately providing a “hand-up” out of a bad situation. This will usually require temporary and wisely chosen “hand-outs” combined with a committed effort to find an actual solution to a person’s problem. An actual solution requires commitment because it will involve struggles, time, effort, and other resources that most are not willing to give.

Designing a ministry to the poor that ignores the hand-up component of working with a person to get out of a problem is usually little help and most likely worse in the long run.

Consider this study quoted by Bethany Stotts in her recent column
Unhealthy Freedoms:

…studies show that reliance on government welfare programs may also contribute to higher levels of depression among Americans. According to the University of Michigan 2001 Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), Americans on welfare were more than twice as likely to feel “worthless” or “hopeless.” “Holding constant all of one’s personal characteristics, including whether or not one is employed, we find that receipt of public assistance by itself pushes up the chances of saying you have been inconsolably sad over the past month by about 16 percentage points,” writes American Journal writer Arthur. C. Brooks on the subject. “No other single factor—not income, age, education, or anything else—comes close to predicting this much of one’s unhappiness.”

Helping the physical need while leaving the recipient of our ministry depressed about their situation is not really ministry. It might be help, but it’s likely not even that if viewed from a long term perspective.

Real ministry to the poor should result in the one being ministered to having a growing sense of hope, encouragement and determination to overcome their challenge. And a growing sense of God’s presence and help in the midst of their situation. That comes by getting into the trenches alongside the needy person and working with them, at what ever level it takes, to find and implement a solution.

Easy? Not at all. In fact it is pretty much impossible–without God. But it is God who has called us to minister to the poor and He does equip us to do the job. Usually step-by-step as we gingerly inch our way forward assured only by faith that the end of the process will be found at some point.

Don’t have time or other resources? Well don’t waste what little resources God has provided you with. Be faithful with the ones you have and perhaps He will provide more. Helping a whole bunch of people a little bit is not usually as good as helping a couple of people a whole lot.

Who called you to save the world? If God has called you to that, you have the necessary resources. If not, look around to the one or two that you are equipped to help. If every Christian really ministered to just a couple of people in a meaningful way we would probably be amazed at how much suffering could be overcome.

Furthermore, help to the poor would probably be increased exponentially as those we have helped OUT of a situation become empowered with personal insight and experience to help others.

What if someone doesn’t want a hand-up, only a hand-out? Well, actually, that’s all most people seeking you out want. Jesus saw it in His ministry. Remember to minister to needs, not wants. Real ministry to some requires not helping them cover up their need for a solution by providing what they want today. Give or don’t give a hand-out as the Spirit leads. But save your real resources, effort, and commitment for those who realize they need to find a solution for their problem.

Real ministry to the poor does not add up a list of dependants, it sets people free to become our partners in ministry to other poor people.