Two Sundays ago I was asked to speak some encouraging words at our host church in Lusaka. Usually, this goes something along the lines of telling people that God loves them and reminding them of their worth and identity in Christ.
Now it was my turn to speak and I didn’t want to stick to the usual script. Over the previous two weeks I had been struggling with my health, homesickness, and my perspective of Africa and its people.
It came to my attention that when people saw my white skin, dollar signs would flash across their eyes. It was apparent in the way they yelled and hissed at me, crowded around us, and so boldly demanded we give them our money or possessions. Frustration was beginning to settle in.
In many ways I am extremely privileged, but I have also learned the value of hard work, how to steward my blessings, and most recently to be unapologetic for who I am and where I come from. I cannot possibly give to every beggar––nor do I believe this is a sustainable practice or solution.
I have realized that we, as Americans, have perpetuated an attitude of thinly veiled entitlement among the underdeveloped and impoverished communities we so frequently aid. Our generosity has backfired in some ways.
In all the years I have been serving and doing ministry, one thing has remained true: you cannot help someone who doesn’t want to help themselves. Somehow, we have set up an expectation for handouts––that nothing needs to be earned, deserved, or worked for. The result? An entire society dependent on aid.
Of course, there is some inner conflict surrounding this sentiment. I want to be generous and give as much as I can. It’s hard to walk away from or turn your back on the needy.
Nonetheless, it is extremely difficult to spread the love of Christ and preach the Gospel while simultaneously withholding blessings from people that are hesitant to receive a spiritual gift when they blinded by my white skin and the physical gifts they believe I can give them.
But, we all know the saying, “Give a man a fishing he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will feed himself for a lifetime.” What these people lack is agency, ownership, and in some circumstances respect––for their belongings, each other, and even themselves.
This is why I felt that rather than simply encourage the church, I needed to empower these people. Feasibly, I could think of at least two things I could do here and now.
Phase 1: speak the truth in love
I began by sharing a story about a beggar girl in Kosova, to whom I flippantly gave a Bible after a long day of door-to-door ministry. Having faced hours of rejection in a primarily Muslim country, I had one Bible left in my bag and honestly, I just wanted to get rid of it…and her.
Two weeks later I saw her again, late at night while I was visiting my waiter friend. She came to me to ask for money and instead I asked her is she like Tres Leches. Her hungry eyes lit up and I invited her to sit down with us.
The waiter looked at me puzzled and inquired, “she says you gave her a book?” I thought for a moment, confused. “Oh, yes I did,” I replied, “a Bible.” He went on to tell me that she had been reading it and now her entire family was reading it.
Humbled, I was grateful that everyone of my friends had shown her kindness throughout the month––sometimes buying her ice cream or bringing her crayons to color with. Hopefully her interaction with us were a testament to the story she was now reading for the first time.
And to think I had given it to her so off-handedly, not pausing to think of the importance of every encounter we have, big or small. “I am telling you this story because I want you to start paying attention. Every thing you do impacts the kingdom––by either building it up or hindering it.”
This poor, Muslim, girl came to know the Lord not because of my ministry but because of the Lord. He simply let me participate, as His hands and feet. “All of the evangelism we have been doing here is not to our credit. I fully expect you to continue after we leave and not rely on future teams of white people. it is your responsibility to continue to build up your church and take ownership of your ministry.”
Phase 2: spread the word
After the service we were asked to hold a youth program. After a couple songs, a skit, and a few testimonies, we decided to hold a sort of O&A panel. We invited the youth to ask us anything about us, our lives, our faith, etc. Over the next hour we heard many excuses for a culture whose customs have been perverted by sin––claiming they wouldn’t persist without poverty.
We responded by preaching about the difference between worldly treasures and heavenly treasures, explaining the many forms of idolatry, and emphasizing the importance of self-control and discipline in faith and every aspect of life.
Although the intention that day was for me to encourage the church and the group to entertain the youth with fun activities, I think the events that unfolded instead were more impactful and of much greater value to the church.
Until these people take responsibility for their lives and decide to make changes, nothing will change, because we cannot change it for them. The problem lie much deeper in the culture and the mindset of the people. I was beginning to understand how this place had remained so stuck in the past.
The next day we had a team meeting regarding our host families circumstances. They could not afford to send both of the young girls to school and were struggling to choose between their youngest daughter and their orphaned niece. After sharing their story with friends and family, we had raised around $3000 for the family.
Now we had to decide how to best steward the funds we had raised. It had become clear that the best thing to do would be to invest in the people that had loved us and their ministry.
We cannot eradicate African poverty and solve their problems for them, but by empowering to be the agents of their own change and giving them a resource to read scripture for themselves and deepen their understanding of the Lord and how to pursue His will for our lives.
Thus, our first priority was to invest in as many Bibles as we could purchase in town. We realized that same night that the best way to bless this community of believers is with the Word of God.
Of course, we paid for a year of tuition and supplies for the young girls schooling. Next, we bought a new piano for the youngest son who had been playing on a broken keyboard but possesses incredible talent. Then, we gave the two eldest children a share to complete grade 12 and get their certificates.
Finally, we split the remaining money between the three churches with which we had been serving, placing it in the offerings for the expansion of the church, a new building, and a roof before rainy season.
Despite my earlier frustrations with the culture I quickly learned that God wants us to be his hands and feet, and although God can use handouts, giving away every penny is not stewardship and is not sustainable.
Blessings can come in many ways (i.e. time, conversation, love) and do not always come via finances or gifts, but when they do investing in the people, seeking out worthy causes, and putting what we do have to give to good use is how we can really bless them.
