Mission to the Needy
FOURTH QUARTER 2023
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #8
NOVEMBER 25, 2023
“MISSION TO THE NEEDY”
Christians have a heart to care for people. Needy people know that and so they often come to Christians for help. Sometimes they even quote scripture to try to make people feel guilty for not helping, for example, Jesus said, “As you do it to the least of these my brethren, you do it to Me.” They often share a sad story to gain sympathy. I have struggled at times with how to help.
One time a lady called me and said she was in a lot of pain and was needing her pain prescription, but she was out of money. Since she had a prescription, I thought it was legitimate. I met her at a drug store to pay for the prescription she had.
A few weeks later she called me and asked if I could help again. I started driving back to the church to meet her, but then realized I was going right by the pharmacy where the prescription was. I decided to stop and see if they would let me buy it for her without her being present. The pharmacist told me she had purchased half of her prescription the day before. She should not have been out of her prescribed pills as she claimed, unless she was abusing or selling them.
When I told her what I had learned, she swore up and down the pharmacist was lying and that she was telling the truth. That experience early in my pastoral ministry led me to be more thorough in seeking to verify and affirm there was a genuine need.
I am currently on the board of a local ministry started by the ministerial association. The ministry is to interview people, verify genuine needs and work with the churches to provide appropriate assistance.
Recently I was introduced to Lois Tupyi and her two books, “Redemptive Compassion” and “Compassion with Redemptive Power”. Through years of working with people in need, Lois prayerfully sought God’s guidance to know how to truly help, rather than simply keeping them in need.
Redemptive Compassion Philosophy
To provide wholistic help, it is vital that we be grounded in the “Redemptive Compassion” philosophy so we can learn to love others as God loves people.
The Redemptive Compassion philosophy includes six key principles that will guide us in how we relate to each person. Living out these principles in all our interactions can inspire hope in people that life can be better. This hope can create an openness to participate in the process and learn and grow. The six principles are:
- Value – Everyone is intrinsically valuable because we all are children of God redeemed by Jesus.
- Relationships – We need to Invest relationally in others. Learn their story and bring hope and encouragement.
- Potential – Help everyone see and achieve their God-given potential.
- Participation – Require mutual contribution and participation. Start small so they can have success.
- Discernment – Through prayer, Bible study, and counsel with others, seek discernment and wisdom to understand how best to serve and walk with each person and how they can participate each step of the way.
- Transformation – Serve in ways that transform. Living out the first 5 principles can open the way for training and mentoring opportunities, without pressure or manipulation. Our part is to continue to love and pray for them, provide a listening ear and assistance as needed to encourage them in their growing process.
The Wagon Principle – (Illustrations from Narcissa Whitman’s diary traveling west to be a missionary to Cayuse Indians)
Serving the person, rather than just meeting a need can help us see the bigger picture so we can assist them in experiencing healing in four important areas of their life:
- Relational/Social needs – Helping people learn how to have healthy relationships with others.
- Emotional/Self-image – Helping people manage their emotions in healthy ways.
- Physical/Material needs – Helping people take responsibility for meeting their physical/material needs.
- Spirituality/Relationship with God – Accepting people where they are. When they are open, lead them to understand and experience God’s unconditional, transforming, and empowering love.
All four wheels on a wagon need to work in order for the wagon to move forward. In the same way, all four components must be healthy for a person to journey to a new place in life. There are three participants working together to help in the healing/growing process: the person in need, the people willing to assist, and God.
There is a part for the receiver to play at each step of the journey. As they succeed in their part step by step, it gives them confidence to continue to do their part.
When it comes to the healing process, someone else can guide the process, but the person needing healing needs to be the one to embrace the love, grace, and forgiveness that God has freely given. They also are the only one who can do the grieving, confessing, repenting, forgiving, and choosing to be reconciled with God and others.
When a butterfly is emerging from the chrysalis, it may be tempting to help it. One time Lois Tupyi cut a very small strand of string to make it easier for the butterfly to be released from the chrysalis. Instead of helping, the butterfly died. The struggle was part of the necessary process of strengthening the butterfly and enabling it to fly.
While Lois Tupyi did not have the “Ministry of Healing” book by Ellen White, the Lord led her to the same valuable message Ellen White expressed on page 143:
“Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’ ”
Monday’s Sabbath School lesson includes the following paragraph:
“The important principle of being Jesus’ helper to our friends begins first with the goal of showing selfless love toward them, understanding their needs first before trying to offer help. Provide the help they need, even though you may not know if they are ready to follow Jesus.”
Compassion begins by listening to understand the heart need, rather than just the surface need. This kind of caring takes more time, so we are limited in how many we can truly serve. Our part is to be in tune with God so we can sense God leading us as to whom we should give of our time, energy, and resources.
~Pastor Clinton Meharry