We live in a microwave society. We don’t like to wait. We want things fixed and we want them fixed quickly. We rarely spend the time investigating to discover the underlying reasons behind behaviors or situations. If a child’s behavior is not acceptable we want immediate change, so we give that child a pill.

Some friends of ours have tried a new approach to training their son. When he disobeys, talks back, or is rude, they stop; they calm the situation down and then ask, “Where is your heart right now?” They want to get to the reason behind his behavior.
They want to get to the cause. This question has led them to some incredible conversations about how we represent Christ in our everyday lives.

Our desire for the quick and easy fix has also infiltrated our service to the poor. Most of the time, energy and money spent is focused on the symptoms of the struggle. That’s not what Jesus did. Jesus always addressed the reasons and not the results of the struggle. Jesus didn’t give away clothes, set up food pantries or homeless shelters. He healed people, because if the cause is corrected, then the symptoms take care of themselves.

Before I am labeled a heretic and people are calling for my head, let’s set the record straight. Felt-need assistance must continue to be available. Scripture requires us to provide for people who are physically or mentally unable to provide for themselves. It’s necessary to deliver services to people who live in areas of the world where the land cannot produce enough food and water for those living there. We also need to offer assistance to those who are going through hard times, but this must only be available as a stop-gap measure.

I am not saying that providing these services to hurting people is a sin. They are necessary, but they must be done in the right way and with the right motives. Doing something poorly is often worse than doing nothing at all. The systematic, long-term provision for people who are physically and mentally capable of caring for themselves must stop. It must come to an end. These services have a detrimental effect on everyone and in no way display the love of Christ. If your service has a singular focus on the symptom, are you really meeting the need or are you adding to the problem?

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