Poverty

In August of 2011, I had just gotten home from another mission trip to Honduras and had heard about the book When Helping Hurts while I was there.  I remember Luke was sitting nearby and I looked over to mention it, and he said he had downloaded it, like, uh,  before we moved out of the circle.  When we got home to Florida, we started a small study group on the book with Dana and another person from our church that was interested.  Besides reading the book, we joined a mission that was already trying to help the community. We went to watch what they did and educate ourselves.  Every week we would meet at the soup kitchen and would sit around with recently released felons that were eating a hot meal for the night and trying to figure their own lives out.  We really had no idea what we were doing, but we showed up every week for months.  We knew God had sparked something in our hearts.  For the longest time, I thought God was pulling me to Eloise, a poor community in our county.  I would drive through Eloise often and pray every single time asking God for specifics.  I was willing to do whatever He wanted.  I just wasn’t sure what He wanted. 

3 years later in another country, we are working through When Helping Hurts. Again.  All 3 of us.  God knew 3 years ago where we would be today. Of course. 

As we are developing a new part of FIGHT Ministries, this week I felt wicked overwhelmed figuring out what God wants for us.  The thought of my work harming others because I followed my own plans (even if they were well-meaning) sounds scary.   Like anxiety scary.   I have been in prayer, and have been looking for info.   I loveeeee reading, learning, and searching for information. 

I had painters at my house today (from my landlord) and the men were in and out on my porches, so I had a lot of time today to just read the book and take copious notes while I (im)patiently waited for them to leave and think about this blog.

This week in my women’s missionary Bible study we touched on the topic of poverty alleviation and how to avoid creating more of a problem.  You see, in an effort to do good to communities that suffer from “material” poverty, we often hurt them.  What we think is a great idea, is often a horrible idea.  I think the main reason is because we simply do not know how to wait on the Lord’s leading.  We can have the biggest hearts and want to “make a difference,” but as humans, we can’t possibly possess that kind of knowledge unless we are tapped into the Holy Spirit.   We can read all the books in the world and seek as much counsel as we want, but our ultimate guide and final decider should be the Holy Spirit.  If you do not know His voice yet, my advice is to continue to seek and pray.  In the beginning you will have to go with your feelings of what feels best (those are of God), but as you grow in Christ, it changes from feelings to concrete directions from Him. 

The authors of When Helping Hurts, Corbett and Fikkert,  explain that, “the problem goes well beyond the material dimension, so the solutions must go behind the material.”  We need to take the approach that allows people to know that we want to walk beside them, help them figure out their abilities and gifts and use them to change the situation.  Not just come and hand things out as heroes trying to fix stuff.

What is the hardest part?  It is time-consuming.  Very time-consuming.  The good news is I have a lifetime to work here.  Time is all Christ’s.

This is the framework.  We have four main relationships: God, Self, Others, and Creation.

Every human being suffers from POVERTY.  We often just think of “material” poverty, but that is ONLY ONE way that our broken relationships manifest.  This one is easily seen by others, while other forms of poverty can be hidden more easily from the rest of the world. 

Workaholics won’t likely experience material poverty because their high level of productivity will keep food on the table.  However, their poverty will manifest in a different way.  Their poverty of stewardship shows not just a job to glorify God (as it should), but they have now made their work a GOD; finding meaning and purpose/worth through production.  They will have strained relationships, physical/emotional stress, and SPIRITUAL weakness because of their inadequate time devoted to Christ because of their demanding schedules.  People pleasers do the same, they are constantly saying “yes” to everyone and they are the people in your group that are worn-out, tired, and barely completing anything for lack of time to do something of quality.  God can ask us to do anything but it won't cut God-time out or make our identify in anyone but Him.  Poverty.

It is neither better nor worse where the poverty is in your life.  Just different.  You may be able to put food on your table but your broken relationships make you poor relationally with others.  God can provide a person's daily bread, literally.  Having a fridge full of food doesn't make you better off than a person whose needs are met by God daily.  The one that abides in Christ is the one who is rich.

As economically rich people, we suffer as a whole with poverty of self in the fact that we feel a sense of superiority in which we believe we can come in and “fix” things.  We think because we have money we can throw money at the problems and “help.” 

Wrong.

Satan deceives us, and we completely hurt ourselves thinking we can do such things in our pride of being above them (not identifying our own God problems..which thinking WE can do that), and we hurt the poor because we shame them and show them they are inferior. It doesn't solve anything.

It takes some serious self-searching and pruning to change our thinking of who we are, and what we are going to do when we go on a mission team to another country, etc.  We need to quit thinking that poverty is a “lack of materials” problem.  Not working or keeping a job, is not laziness.  If you want to make a change, you have to change your thinking to help people.  There is a deep seed here that needs to be worked on.  Just like your issues with materialism and wanting more and more to keep up with your neighbors is exactly the same. Poverty.  A broken relationship with God.

In order to fix my issues, I have to know what the real issue is…

In order to help alleviate material poverty, we need to know what the real issue is…

Luke hit it on the head in his last FIGHT blog. Check it out here.

Trafficking is still our mission, but we are learning that there are 9000 layers to prevention, rescue, and rehab.  As we went through this book’s chapter 2, we were intrigued to see that our foundation of FIGHT Ministries’ process and 4 step model (that we structured last year as a group of 5) is SO ON TARGET with these principles. 

All we can say is it is…Holy Spirit leading.  I can't have His best or do His best if I do not listen.

And sometimes, the Spirit might tell you to go against all this empirical evidence.  He can do whatever He wants, that is why it is important to read your Bible and pray.  He might say something you wouldn't expect.  Doesn't matter what I think is "right," we follow Christ.

So last week we heard someone in the ministry say, "This is my dream come true.  I have dreamt of it so many times at night.  I have prayed to God...and now I will have it."

Nothing touches my heart as to when I hear someone say I am part of their answered prayer.  By far the coolest thing to know that God uses you because you listen. Humbled. I can't help but be thankful I get to be a part of it.