Fishing Lessons

Fishing Lessons

Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. For you know that you ought to imitate us. . . . We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. . . . We wanted to give you an example to follow. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-9

This is a tough subject in any setting. The reasons are many, not the least of which are that people tend to make political hay when the discussion of how much and how long and to whom to give arises. But the reality is that when people are continually given things, they tend to lose a sense of personal responsibility for their lives.

I think it goes beyond the political realm to the social as well, whether people perform good deeds poorly or well. How we impact those around us is just as important as the act itself, in most instances. And how we view them—as objects of our largess or friends in need—is also important in how they view themselves while we’re there and when we leave.

Certainly, after a natural disaster, people’s immediate concern is where their next meals are coming from—that’s clear. But is providing food the best and most complete resolution? Once the crisis situation is past, we must be focused on allowing people to maintain dignity and helping them to grow their sense of accountability and self-worth. It’s the difference between giving a man a fish and teaching him to fish. It’s how we would help our friends.

That’s part of what I respect about World Vision. It is an enormous organization, providing humanitarian aid around the globe both in crises and in other times, but it is always done with an intentional focus on leaving the recipients not only immediately valued, but better able to deal with the world moving forward. They try to assist but leave intact—or help build—an infrastructure or economy that provides for opportunity going forward. Their goal is to never provide assistance and then leave a vacuum behind.

We do people a disservice when they begin to believe that—aside from God’s plan and involvement in their lives—they don’t have to take personal responsibility for their lives. We need to ensure that our assistance equips them to thrive in the future and that we don’t force people to abdicate their responsibility for their own well-being. Friends help friends get to a better place in their lives by lifting them up as needed along the way but allowing them to set the course for themselves.

We all need a helping hand at times; we all need someone to come alongside and walk with us at times. If you are able to contribute a gift to someone who needs it, by all means, do so. Just make sure that you are not applying a temporary fix but empowering people to become more responsible once they are on their own.

Uncommon Key > It’s wonderful to be able to immediately alleviate needs in a crisis. But think of ways you might be able to offer something that has a long-term payoff. God created everyone uniquely for a purpose—you must help others fulfill their purposes as well.