Look into the eyes of a homeless man or a battered woman, and you’ll find an emptiness. A lack of hope pervades their entire being and comes from the heart. For them, it’s just another day to get through, to survive until death stops the pain. What they fail to understand is death doesn’t solve anything.
Ministering to the Hopeless
These people have been beaten down. They see themselves as failures. The drug addict, the alcoholic, the homeless mother who can’t find a job. They’ve lived this way so long that they have no hope for anything to be different.
They don’t believe anything is going to change tomorrow or the next day. The hopeless have no goals or plans for the future.
Many people who volunteer their time focus on treating the physical needs, providing food, blankets and shelter. Their intentions are good, but they seldom take the time to get to know the people they are caring for. They don’t hear their stories or find out who these people really are.
To reach people with no hope and no dreams, you have to get to know them. Take the time to ask questions and listen to what they have to say. Understand the reasons behind the way they feel. This interaction won’t happen overnight or with everyone you meet. But if you are consistent and open with your concern and caring, you will build relationships. You can use these relationships to introduce them to real hope, hope that can be theirs in the middle of their circumstances.
The Example of Jesus
To learn how to do ministry right, you just have to look at Jesus. His ministry was all about getting to know people. Remember the numerous occasions where He met with people who were feeling hopeless.
- Nicodemus came to Him at night because he knew religion wasn’t the answer.
- The Samaritan woman met Him at the well, and He took the time to talk to her and hear her story (though Jesus was well aware of it). She felt like an outcast because of her heritage and her history, but Jesus gave her hope.
- Zacchaeus was excited to meet Jesus and have Him come to his house when others avoided the tax collector because of his job and his past behavior.
Jesus didn’t try to solve their problems in the way they might have wanted or expected. Instead, He developed a relationship, taking the time to get to know them and showing them what they really needed.
This doesn’t mean we should ignore the physical needs of others. Jesus also provided for those around Him when He met people who needed healing or other blessings. Often, He used those things to teach a greater truth.
When we minister to those around us, we have to solve their immediate needs. However, we cannot forget that what they really need the most is hope. And that is an answer we have for them.
