Serving Beyond Ourselves and Our Needs

“We see our needs and overlook the true needs and interests of those we are serving” ~Toxic Charity

How many mission trips have you been on? Who were the others that went with you? Who were you serving? How long was the trip? What were you doing? Was a lasting difference made?

The more I am serving as a young adult missionary in Dallas, TX the more I find myself becoming frustrated with the concept of mission trips and service. For the past 22 years before entering into ministry and being sent to Dallas, I would consume as much of my time as I could doing mission trips and service projects… In essence, I was “helping” those that needed it but was the work that I did and you have done truly making a difference and lasting impact?

I see FaceBook posts about working on houses, doing yard work, feeding the hungry, etc but truly think about it, what’s the impact and is it a fruitful impact or are we causing more harm? Don’t get me wrong; as Christians and as followers of Christ we are meant to do something about the injustice and pain in this world but again, are we helping or are we doing more harm by doing 1 week trips or 1 day service projects?

“35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” ~Matthew 25:35-40

Any church that I have been apart of has had some emphasis on going beyond the church walls and reaching those in need. Every church has offered opportunities to go on mission trips or do participate in service projects but what’s the impact and what’s the reason behind them? Honestly, the more I am serving at my placement site, seeing the work that is being done, and learning more… I feel like the church is just filling a quota to serve others but this is more for those doing the service work or mission trip than it is for those being served.

Let me explain with a recent event that took place… For the past 6 weeks I have been helping with a 6 week long summer youth leadership camp where we took all the students through a 6 week course of talking about career readiness, healthy living, and Biblical foundation. Almost weekly we had a time where the students could be prayed with and had a chance to accept Christ into their lives. At the end of the 6 weeks, we ended up having 13 first time decisions for Christ and 19 recommitments for Christ to be their Lord and Savior. Throughout the 6 weeks I questioned why was the camp 6 weeks and not shorter and while I still believe camp could be a few weeks shorter, I realize that it needed to be so long because true and authentic relationships were being formed. Relationships that allowed for the students to be vulnerable with those leading the students through the 6 weeks and resulted in the first time decisions and rededications.

 If camp were only a week like many mission trips or even one day like many service projects then I would have left questioning if those commitments and dedications were authentic but I honestly have little doubt that the responses were made it because as someone who was helping with camp for 6 weeks, I can honestly say that the students we had wouldn’t say they made a first time decision or recommitment and not mean what they said.

“Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a life time.” 

At the camp, we taught the kids the fundamentals of the Christian faith and the importance of reading and memorizing scripture as well as the importance of applying it to their lives. We didn’t just give the kids something to do for 6 weeks but we taught them… I wonder, how many mission trips and service projects are we teaching those we serve and building authentic relationships with and how many of them are we just feeding and then going on with our own lives?

I can say all this because I was that person who went on any mission trip I could and was even apart of a service sorority but with the relationships being built here in Texas, the work that is being done, what I am seeing, etc… I am experiencing true ministry where I can leave knowing that a difference truly has been made. I haven’t just come in and left and not allow the work that is being done and the relationships to change how I see things and who I am.

Therefore, I ask, are we making a difference through our mission trips and service projects or are we causing more harm to those we serve in the end? Many of the mission trips and service projects are serving the needs of the church and an individual but isn’t it time that we move beyond ourselves and our needs and truly reach those that God asks us to reach and serve? It’s not easy work and it will get frustrating and you may be broken as I have been at times but in the end, you can leave knowing that you went beyond yourself and your needs. There will still be times that you ask if you are helping or causing more harm and that’s always going to be a battle but if we are in God and in line with His teaching and His calling then we can’t go wrong. It’s time that we build authentic and true relationships, listen to those we serve, and stop “giving the people a fish and feeding them one day” but rather “teaching them how to fish and feeding them a lifetime.”

So, what do you say? Are you willing to go beyond yourself and your needs and truly make a difference and help others or are you stuck in the routine of how things have been? It’s up to you!