Our Philosophy

The first time you see the people working in “the dump,” and the cardboard and plastic shanties in which they live, your heart almost literally breaks. Many people feel guilty for all they have, and the thought often crosses peoples’ minds to sell all they have and give it to these people.  We often think that if we just could give them enough “stuff,” their poverty would disappear, and all their problems would be solved.

We think of this type of poverty as simply a “lack of enough stuff.”  Whether that “stuff” be money, food, clothes, house, car, etc., we seem to think that just having enough would resolve the problem of poverty.  In today’s news as I listen to people talking about solving the world’s hungerproblem, I hear the same sort of talk. There is, after all, enough food produced in the world to feed everyone.  But just “feeding” everyone - even providing for all their basic needs and taking away their physical hunger - will not erase poverty, as some would proclaim.

The problem - the mere existence of poverty - is a much deeper, more profound and complex problem than simply a “lack of stuff.” After 16 years of serving among the “poorest of the poor” in Guatemala, I have learned much.  I have watched as many ministries gave food, clothing, medicine, even a degree of education to the poor with absolutely no change being effected in the lives of the people they were trying to help.

We in the U.S. have watched as decades of our own welfare system has literally created generations of even more poor…people who have developed a sense of entitlement rather than changing their lives for the betterment of their families or their communities. What was missing from these well-intentioned solutions to poverty? I believe the answer is fundamental to how we define poverty itself.  It is the view we have of the poor, coupled with our stereotypes, our internal belief system, and what we actually believe about God’s character and His promises.

At The Servant’s Heart, we have learned that poverty is fundamentally a… lack of relationships.

As we look at our own lives, we, as Christians, place our relationship with God the Father as number one on our list of priorities. Then we have our families. Next we have large communities of neighbors, depending on where and how we live. And ultimately, we do have a relationship with our governments, which can be either somewhat close with our local representatives, national with our federal government or even global, if we have greater access to opportunities throughout the world.

In looking at the same structure within poverty, we first see that in most abjectly poor communities, the majority of the people are women and children, and the idea of a father, or at least a responsible, loving father does not even exist. 

So the concept of our Heavenly Father who loves, guards and provides for us is a difficult one to even accept.  Along these same lines, the churches that seem to be most prevalent in these poverty cultures are the Pentecostal churches, whose focus in on the law…not on grace.  This in turn, if the people do become believers, leads to a still oppressive relationship with The Father…one in which the person is taught they must fulfill many laws in order to be accepted and loved.

And so, the very primary relationship that begins to fulfill our innermost need for love and acceptance is extremely difficult to accept and internalize for the abjectly poor.  It just doesn’t fit within their belief and thought system.

Familes form the second rung of our relationship ladder, moving from the top down. Typically, due to the stress of poverty, mothers follow the pattern they learned in their own poor childhoods, by continuing to be abusive and often absent, physically, emotionally or both.  Where we would find a haven from the outside world, the poor find yet another negative set of relationships – a father who exists only as a biological necessity and an often abusive and emotionally-absent mother.  So the family does not fulfill its role in developing positive, healthy relationships.

Next, we look at the community in which we live.  Although crime is possible everywhere, we know it is more prevalent in poor neighborhoods. Imagine the mindset of a person who has nothing that the world values.  And by some chance, it becomes possible for one person in the group to buy a new sound system.  Well…everyone becomes jealous…envious…to the extent that this purchase becomes the target of thieves.  The justifying thinking goes like this - they don’t deserve it, so why shouldn’t I have it?  And so stealing is common.  The poor stealing from the poor.  And often accompanying this is the violence that becomes typical in these neighborhoods.  And what does this beget?

Ultimately, lack of trust dominates their belief system.  No one is to be trusted…but especially those with whom they cohabit. So a peaceful, refuge-like neighborhood with friends who live in close proximity simply does not exist.  No trust equals no relationship. Lastly, let’s take just a superficial look at the governments in what is a typical third world country. 

As most of the world knows, the poor in a third-world country are the majority, but have no political or other type of voice or power.  It is generally the minority rich that are those in power positions, placing literally an oppressive thumb on top of the poor to control them. Laws are not designed to help the poor.  And because the poor are undereducated both academically and in understanding systems, they virtually have no relationships with their governments either. And so, at all levels we feel loved, protected and cared for, accepted and part of God, family, community and government. The poor have the opposite experience.

God becomes someone who holds a stick over their heads, demanding perfection; families do not provide or protect due to the stress of the poverty in which they live; communities both help to create and increase lack of trust; and the governments are there only to protect the rich and their investments…and to oppress and control the poor. And so…the thought that giving stuff to solve this problem may sound simple…but it truly is almost silly.  The problem of poverty and its solutions are so much more complex and will take generations to realistically change from within its culture.

Yes, basic needs must be met.  But first we must begin by introducing the poor to the one who loves unconditionally.  That doesn’t mean He doesn’t expect us to grow, change our behavior and live lives of active faith.  But His love does not change as a result of how we behave.  It just simply is!!! And this is a change that begins from the inside…out. 

As we observe the lives that have been transformed through God’s love and these people’s participation in The Servant’s Heart, we still see poverty.  But we see new eyes filled with hope, joy and love that have all developed as a result of:

And so…as we look at poverty and serve the abjectly poor, these concepts have literally driven our approach to developing each of our programs within the ministry of The Servant’s Heart.

As our Board documents state, our fundamental motivation for ministry is the following: To develop relationships, To create fellowship, and to make disciples.

And we begin with relationships.  One person at a time, we strive to build personal relationships with each person we serve…as well as with our donors, churches, schools and organizations all of whom provide for our needs that we can lead and grow this ministry as God directs our steps.

We pray you will begin to see the poor differently as you reflect on our philosophy.  The next time you pass a homeless person on the street…or see stories of people in tremendous need…or even hear of one of your “neighbors” going through hard times…or visit our ministry and see the way our people live…I hope you will remember that their greatest need of all is first a relationship with Jesus and receiving His unconditional love.  Then they need your smile…your touch…your kind words…and perhaps a relationship that you, too, can offer them…as their brother or sister in Christ…and the love we can give...unconditionally…because he first loved us.