Monthly Archives: June 2016

Do you Value or Pity the Poor?

Breaking the Broken, , , , ,

Do You Value or Pity the Poor

Many of us provide services or minister to the poor. We donate clothing and supplies, provide food and shelter and this is done because we value human life. To value something means to find it important and our hearts are broken when we see our fellow humans suffering so we work to alleviate their pain.

But there is another aspect of value and a very different way to respond. To value something also means to find it useful. We believe it has worth and is important. While we may see our service as important, do we really see the poor as important? Do we see their worth and usefulness?

Pity, on the other hand, is the feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the suffering and misfortunes of others. The truth is, most of our services are driven out of pity and not value. You see we invest in what we believe in. When we only meet the immediate need, without working to help them gain sustainable change in their lives, we are showing our thoughts on their value.

A Future Not a Handout

Uncategorized

Christmas Give-a-WayI don’t think any parent wants to see their children struggle. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I would move heaven and earth to help my children regain their footing if they fell on hard times. I would help with immediate needs, but I would pour even more resources into a solution. We would do what was necessary to overcome the cause of the struggle. Only meeting the situational need does not represent a parent’s heart or God’s heart, but that’s what most of our services to the poor do.

People often ask if there are ways that they can be involved in ministry and we offer them several opportunities to develop relationships and equip people to better handle the challenges of life. Their response often goes something like this, “Oh…don’t you just have a service project we can do to help you out? Maybe we can do a food drive or collect diapers? Do you all do Christmas for the kids or need help delivering Thanksgiving baskets?” They want to treat the symptom, but aren’t willing to help overcome the cause.

John Perkins is a man who has devoted his life to the service of others. He is a pioneer in fighting for justice and equality. In his book, With Justice For All, he says, “There are two reactions to poverty and injustice – social service and social action. Social service takes a food basket to a needy family at Christmas; social action tries to eliminate the conditions which produce the hunger.” John Perkins understands God’s Plan for the poor. We must invest in solutions and give people a future.

Click here to order your copy of Breaking The Broken

To leave a comment or contact Rob fill out the form below.