Learning to Serve

So I'm on a plane in route to Honduras for my first mission trip. Truth be told I'm a little nervous. What will be expected of me? What does it mean to be the hands and feet of Christ? I had been praying about these questions for awhile before the trip but I think I knew that I couldn't really learn or even hear the answers; I would have to live them. So, I pull out my copy of the book that our group leaders recommended, Toxic Charity by Robert D. Lupton, in an attempt to get a little more perspective. Boy, did I ever. Ten pages in I was twice as confused about what I was supposed to be doing. Confused in a perfectly wonderful way, that made me want to dig deeper and draw closer to Christ.



I absolutely recommend this book for anyone who plans to work with charitable organizations. Whether or not the organization is religiously affiliated , this book shines some light on the fact that most charitable efforts, despite the best intentions, often cause harm to the very people they are attempting to help. What I recognized in the book's examples and in my own life is a need to try and be a savior instead of attempting to be more like Him.
Think of it like teaching; the best teachers don't do the work for their students, they teach them how to do the work themselves. They teach them to solve problems on their own, they help them learn. And the absolutely phenomenal teachers know that the best way to teach is by learning from your students what they need. Sure, it's more time consuming and it takes much more energy but, its the only way to create lasting change. Its the only way to truly help others.