Meeting the needs of other people (whether the needs are physical or spiritual) comes with an inherent danger.
We can become so focused on the needs of people, that we neglect the people themselves. The needs become more important than the people. The need becomes a substitute for getting to know people who are dealing with those issues and needs. So sometimes, we need to forget the issues and forget the needs, and just focus on people. We need to stop categorizing and classifying people by their needs, and just love and serve them as people.
The Man with the Withered Hand
There is an account in the Gospel of Luke when Jesus encounters a man with a withered hand. Such a deformity would have kept this man from performing most kinds of work, and such a blemish may also have restricted his ability to bring sacrifices to God and participate with fellow Jews in the worship of God. This man was physically and spiritually outcast. Not only this, but the day on which Jesus met him was a Sabbath. So the situation is overflowing with numerous physical and spiritual needs, and complex theological issues.
But Jesus raised none of the issues, asked none of the theological questions, and focused on none of the needs. Jesus did not write a letter to the editor, make a plan to help others with similar problems, start a task force, raise support, begin a non-profit organization to raise awareness for people with withered hands, address the cultural, sociological, and theological errors which had created the problem, or any of the other things He could have done. Instead, Jesus just helped the man. Jesus knew the man needed help and so Jesus helped him.
Love People, Not Needs
When a person with a need or issue is in front of us, our focus should be on that person, and not on the need or issue which that person represents. There will be plenty of time later to raise awareness for the plight of others facing the same need. But the time for that is not when someone is standing right in front of us with that need. That is the time to toss all the plans, and fundraising, and support letters out the window, and just say, “Here, let me help.”
“Love people, not needs”. I love it! One of the things we have found in our ministry is that it is impossible to lump people together (not that we try to). We get to love people who are “homeless”, but the needs really are individulaized. We assume they need the basics, but many times they really need something we had not expected. We learn what they need by doing something shocking, we ask them. Then do what we can to meet the need. Instead of a coat, we have been asked for a chance to use our cell phone to call their mom so she will know they are still alive and many other requests we would not have thought of on our own. By engaging people in conversations we show we really care about them and connections are made.
By the way, one of the most important things we can do to love people is learn their NAME. This seems too obvious to even need saying, but many people miss it. If we are to see past the neediness and actually see the person, this is the most basic step. It shows them we care personally and takes them from the realm of that homeless guy on the corner to Pete who has a very interesting life story. Which would you rather be!
Thanks again, Jeremy, for challenging people to be more like Jesus.
Charity,
Absolutely. We all love it when someone remembers our name. It takes effort, but is worth it, as it helps people know that we care.
Good Post! It knocked the cobwebs around in my head…
Missing the people while trying to meet their needs is easy to do. I remember some of our recent experiences distributing tarps to the homeless just before the rain started. When we appear with tarps, we’re literally mobbed. As soon as the tarps are gone, the people melt back into the urban landscape.
We’ve also seen this happen when groups from churches in the suburbs have joined us. Most of them focus on talking to each other while they are picking up trash, pulling weeds, painting and doing other service projects and miss the people they’re trying to serve.
Something that works really well – Ask people their (first) names. In the case of the street people, also ask them what they really need. Write it down in a little book. (Some stuff we just have to pray for.) Tell them when we’ll be back. Ask if they plan to be there. Be sure to go back. They may be sitting there waiting. Keeping that promise can establish our credibility and show that we really do care.
If they seem open to it, ask if there’s something they’d like us to pray for. Sometimes I even ask if they’d like me to say a prayer “now” if the situation seems to call for it. I’ve prayed with people in the street in front of churches where they tell me they’d never set foot because “those people don’t like me”.
I’d love to tell some of the stories, but wish to respect the privacy of the people. Just try some of this stuff. Sure, you’ll probably not do everything just right, but the people will know if you care, if you really do love them.
Sam,
You have got to move up here to New York! We need some good lessons on neighborliness (I’m including myself in that). I like that idea of bringing a notebook and writing things down in it. I often just try to remember these things, but I end up forgetting about 80% of the time.
My wife refuses to live anywhere that is cold enough to get snow.
This really does work just about anywhere. Immediately after I wrote the comment, I left for Walmart and have a pretty amazing story about an opportunity I had to apply these ideas. I’ll do my best to make time to write out some of the story and put it up as a post on GraceGround in the next couple of days.
I have the solution, Jeremy! Your family and Sam’s can all move out here to Colorado and hang out with FedEx and I. Sam, I hear your wife’s concern, but lots of Californians have acclimated. LOL
Yea, we always tend to have an agenda and OUR goals for their lives. Great post and wake-up call to sit with people, listen to their hearts, love them right there and help them with what they truly need.
I also thought of the lyrics in that song, “If I die young”:
“Funny when your dead how people start listening”