Exploring the Principles of Wholistic Restoration Part 3: Personal
In this five part series, so far we have discussed Relational and Spiritual Restoration. The next principle of wholistic restoration is: Personal. This is the area most would refer to as case management, which I would describe as helping someone take care of the most practical areas of their life.
Exploring the Principles of Wholistic Restoration Part 2: Relational
In this area, we focus on the closest relationships those who are suffering have, have lost, or someday want to have. This is where family reunification comes into play. In most cases, people who find themselves in extreme poverty have burned a lot of bridges.
Exploring the Principles of Wholistic Restoration Part 1: Spiritual
In this work, not every story is a success story. The road to change is paved with hard work and there’s no magical shortcut. We put the five principles of wholistic restoration in place in order to build the foundation to restoration and recovery and when followed, even if it’s not always easy, these principles are the path to a better life. First up is Spiritual.
Three Reasons People Experiencing Poverty May Be Reluctant to Seek and Accept Help
No doubt working with individuals in life restoration requires deep heart work, but it also requires compassionate intellectual understanding that may not be apparent to us if we have not personally experienced those circumstances that can lead to extreme material and relational poverty. For those living in poverty, seeking and accepting help has barriers. I want to talk about three of the most common reasons individuals either decline assistance or leave a restoration program prematurely.
Factors that can lead to extreme poverty
No one would argue that a lack of compassion is a good starting point for launching into relationships with hurting and hopeless people. In order to access that compassion and really start bringing restoration and relief, we must first understand the root causes of extreme poverty.
Scripture that keeps you going when it seems you can’t give anymore
I have worked with those in extreme poverty daily for nearly a decade now, first as a pastor in a church and now as a chaplain in a non-profit organization. At the deepest level of your heart, if you want to help people break generational cycles of poverty, addiction, and criminal thinking, you must be engaged in an ongoing, open and honest relationship with those you are serving and that can be a heavy burden sometimes. I find consulting scripture is a way to renew my heart and dedication to the cause of restoration. Following are a few of my favorites.
How to drop your judgment when working with the homeless
“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”—Matthew 9:35–38
To this day, as I pour myself into the lives of hurting people, the Holy Spirit still uses that passage to give me a much-needed heart check. There is much to learn from that great passage, but two words have always captivated me when it comes to how I relate internally with those I serve: compassion and prayer. Those two words create a strong conviction in my heart that it is impossible to be in a loving relationship with those I serve without having compassion and praying for them. This will enable you to remove all judgment you may have brought into the relationship.
Temporary Relief vs. Wholistic Restoration to Help Those in Need
Years ago, I learned a hard lesson about how ineffective, or even harmful, it can be to give money to persons in poverty without any measure or system of accountability. It was when I was on staff at the church. One of the families in the church wanted to donate a car to one of the struggling families that came to the outreach service we started. I had the perfect match: a mom of two little ones working full time and helping take care of her in-laws while her husband had trouble keeping a job.
Restoring lives: Understanding extreme material and relational poverty
Material and relational poverty are both contributing factors to instability in one’s personal life and the effects of both are far reaching throughout society. Much of what we track and what many of our programs address are issues of material poverty. But if you have worked with those in material poverty, you know many are also experiencing relational poverty. Let’s discuss both.
Restoration Ministry: I found my why. What’s yours?
One person suffering from extreme poverty is too many. The causes of extreme poverty are varied and numerous: addiction, trauma, re-entering society after being imprisoned for a crime, with generational poverty being the strongest predictor of continued and future poverty.