Session 1
What is healthy giving?
From Preparing Your Heart to Go: A 7-Day Devotional for NewSpring Mission Trips
Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, ‘Look at us.’ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, ‘I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk! — Acts 3:3-6
During your mission trip, you will encounter poverty and brokenness you may not have experienced before. At times, the needs may seem overwhelming.
Before arriving, it’s important to understand the difference between helping and enabling. Helping is aiding someone in a way that they are not capable of doing for themselves. Enabling is doing something for someone in a way that could hurt them long-term.
That’s why it’s important to trust and support our local partners by obeying any rules they have for giving out food, gifts, money, etc. Meeting a short-term need without a long-term goal creates an unsustainable solution. By working with local churches and organizations, we’re able to help a community for more than a week because the ministry continues long after we’ve gone home.
You will have many opportunities to help during the trip. Remember, meeting a need is often the catalyst for giving away the only true treasure we have — the power and presence of Jesus.
If you’re in a situation and you’re not sure how to best serve someone, offer to pray for them. Jesus is the only one who can meet our needs perfectly. Later, if you feel like more needs to be done, talk with your leader and trust their discernment about how to best help.
Reflect
Have you ever had someone help so much it hindered your growth and maturity? What do you wish someone would have done for you instead?
Pray
Ask the Lord to increase your discernment and prepare you to help others in a healthy way.
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