Book Summary

When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett, Brian Fikkert

Main Idea

Poverty is not only about a lack of resources but is primarily caused by broken relationships with God, self, others, and creation. Poverty alleviation, then, must center on relational reconciliation. Efforts that focus on relief over development can hurt the poor more than it helps.

Understanding the true cause of poverty prevents helpers from treating symptoms only or providing relief for the wrong problems. When understood, the correct intervention of relief, rehabilitation, or development can be humbly offered. In the process, the materially poor are equipped and empowered to use their God-given talents and gifts to glorify God in work, while allowing their families to enjoy the fruit of that work.

The foundation concepts, principles, and strategies presented in this book will help pastors, missions leaders, and anyone interested in poverty alleviation to maximize their efforts in helping the poor.

Many people want to help those in poverty. However, most efforts for poverty alleviation are based on the foundational idea that the poor only need more resources. This is not true. Poverty alleviation involves much more than resource allocation. Instead, poverty alleviation requires restoring relationships and long-term development.

The paradigms of poverty alleviation need to change so that the poor are empowered and equipped to help themselves escape poverty. Otherwise, the poor are either made to be dependent upon the helper, and their poverty is perpetuated, or they are enabled to continue making choices that have contributed to their poverty. Cultural differences need to be understood in order to find the best way of helping the poor in other countries.

Any person who wishes to impact poverty will greatly benefit from this book. It will challenge conventional wisdom that has proven to unintentionally create poverty rather than alleviate it. Sometimes good intentions have resulted in injury both to those being helped as well as the helper.

Key Insight 1

Everyone Is Broken and Poor

All people are broken and poor in different ways.

When it comes to the discussion of poverty alleviation, how we define poverty is extremely important. If poverty is only an issue with material deficits, then North Americans would be considered rich and righteous! If poverty is deeper than material acquisition, then it is possible for the materially wealthy and the materially poor to both experience different types of brokenness and poverty.

North American people tend to believe that poverty is only about lack of resources and believe the solution is providing those resources. However, when poor people in Majority World nations are interviewed, they describe poverty as a much deeper reflection of their identity. They describe poverty as taking away from their value, worth, and hope.

Materially wealthy people, which almost all North Americans would be categorized as according to world standards, also experience poverty. Every human experiences poverty of spiritual intimacy, poverty of being, poverty of community, and poverty of stewardship.

When the materially wealthy recognize that they, too, need restoration and healing, then they can better help those who are in material poverty without hurting them in the process. Poverty alleviation is really about redemption and reconciliation. The economically wealthy have to embrace their own brokenness to humbly come alongside those who are impoverished.

Without humility, respect, love, and a right understanding of poverty, helpers can experience compassion fatigue and give up on helping those in poverty. The first step in humbly helping those in poverty is to repent of believing the lie of the health and wealth gospel that says that spiritual maturity leads to financial prosperity.

Key Quotes

“How useless it would have been if Jesus had only used words and not deeds to declare the kingdom!”

, Tweet

// (Page 35)

“Converts need to be trained in a biblical worldview that understands the implications of Christ’s lordship for all of life and that seeks to answer the question: If Christ is Lord of all, how do we do farming, business, government, family, art, etc., to the glory of God?”

, Tweet

// (Page 45)

“Due to the comprehensive nature of the fall, every human being is poor in the sense of not experiencing these four relationships in the way God intended… every human being is suffering from a poverty of spiritual intimacy, a poverty of being, a poverty of community, and a poverty of stewardship.”

, Tweet

// (Page 59)

“One of the major premises of this book is that until we embrace our mutual brokenness, our work with low income people is likely to do more harm than good.”

, Tweet

// (Page 61)

“Remember it is not only the materially poor who need to change. We all need to change, because we are all poor in different ways.”

, Tweet

// (Page 220)

Application Questions

In what ways has brokenness contributed to poverty in general?

In what ways are you impoverished?

How has your own brokenness contributed to poverty in your life?

Key Insight 2

Poverty of Relationships

Poverty is a result of broken relationships with God, self, others, and the rest of creation.

At creation, God made man to be in a healthy, whole, and holy relationship with Him. The purpose of man is to glorify God, and to show how great He really is.

Out of that relationship flows three other relationships. Our relationship with self is a correct understanding of who we are, for mankind is created with inherent worth and dignity because every single person is created in the image of God.

We also have relationship with others. We are supposed to know, love, and encourage one another. The same dignity and worth that is given to us is bestowed upon every human being, and they deserve our love for that reason.

We also have a relationship with the rest of God’s creation. God gave man a unique job to steward creation. Humanity is supposed to understand, protect, subdue, and manage the world God created for our benefit and His glory.

All poverty is produced by one or more of these relationships being damaged and broken. People believe wrong things about God, themselves, each other, and creation. Both materially poor and non-poor experience poverty in these areas, but in different ways. For instance, a materially poor person can experience shame that causes them to feel inferior to others and to have a nihilistic view of life. Therefore, they condemn themselves to a life of poverty.

On the other hand, a materially non-poor person can experience poverty of self by having a god-complex where they believe themselves superior because they have achieved their wealth through their own efforts and think they know what is best for low-income people. Both of these poverties require repentance and believing the truth of God’s Word.

Key Quotes

“Being made in God’s image, human beings are inherently relational...before the fall, God established four foundational relationships for each person: a relationship with God, with self, with others, and with the rest of creation.”

, Tweet

// (Page 54)

“In particular for our purposes, when these relationships are functioning properly, people are able to fulfill their calling of glorifying God by working and supporting themselves and their families with the fruit of that work.”

, Tweet

// (Page 55)

“Poverty is the result of relationships that do not work, that are not just, that are not for life, that are not harmonious or enjoyable. Poverty is the absence of shalom in all of its meanings.”

, Tweet

// (Page 59)

“If poverty is rooted in broken relationships that result from both individual and systemic brokenness, then highly relational approaches are needed to alleviate poverty.”

, Tweet

// (Page 213)

Application Questions

How is a person’s view of God, self, others, and creation impacted by poverty?

How does paternalism impact a poor person’s view of self and others?

Do you have broken relationships? How is that brokenness causing poverty for you?

Key Insight 3

Understand How Best to Help

Misdiagnosing poverty-needs results in the wrong alleviation efforts and does more harm than good.

If poverty is primarily about a lack of resources, then helping seems easy: provide more resources. However, history has proven that resource reallocation does not cure poverty. Poverty is a much deeper issue that requires a more informed, better invested, multi-faceted, relational approach.

There are three primary levels of intervention when it comes to poverty alleviation:

Relief: meeting an emergency or crisis need to sustain a person, family, or community.
Rehabilitation: the person or community has survived the emergency or crisis but are now working on restoring their life to what it was like before the emergency or crisis took place.
Development: requires a long-term relational commitment to help the person, family, or community gain skills and steward God-given gifts so they can glorify God and support their families through work.

Misidentifying the problem results in applying the wrong intervention, which can have devastating effects. For instance, if a family is not experiencing a crisis, but relief is the only intervention used, then they can become dependent upon handouts and even enabled to continue their current patterns and behaviors. On the other hand, if relief is needed immediately, but development is the only thing offered, then a family may perish before they are helped. Therefore, great wisdom and discernment are needed.

Most of the time relief is not needed, particularly when helping the poor in North America. The person who is habitually in poverty due to poor financial management or decision-making would benefit more from rehabilitation and development than relief.

Most organizations cannot provide all three of these interventions effectively, so it is better for the organization to determine what they are best at providing and do it well. They should, also, partner with other organizations who are able to provide the other levels of intervention and recommend people to them when needed.

Key Quotes

“A helpful first step in thinking about working with the poor in any context is to discern whether the situation calls for relief, rehabilitation, or development.”

, Tweet

// (Page 99)

“One of the biggest mistakes that North American churches make — by far — is in applying relief in situations in which rehabilitation or development is the appropriate intervention.”

, Tweet

// (Page 101)

“Avoid paternalism. Do not do things for people that they can do for themselves.”

, Tweet

// (Page 109)

“Many North American churches and ministries are reconsidering the approaches they have been taking toward the materially poor. Many are realizing that they have been applying ‘relief’ inappropriately and want to shift toward ‘development’ in their work at home and abroad.”

, Tweet

// (Page 206)

“Development is fundamentally a messy process that ultimately depends on the reconciling work of Jesus Christ (Col. 1:19-20) and the power of the Holy Spirit.”

, Tweet

// (Page 243)

Application Questions

What are some ways well-intentioned efforts could actually hurt a person experiencing poverty?

What happens when a doctor treats the wrong problem? What happens when poverty relief efforts try to solve the wrong problem?

In what ways have you tried to help others but found it to be less successful than you intended?

Chapter 1

Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?

The most important question for any Christian to answer when considering kingdom work is, “Why did Jesus come to the earth?” The simple answer is that He came to earth to preach the good news of the kingdom of God. The expanded answer is that He is bringing healing to the entire cosmos and reconciling all things back to God. One can only experience the benefits of the kingdom by repenting and trusting in Him.

Jesus came in word and deed. He not only preached about the good news, but He brought good news by doing great works on behalf of those who had the most need. The church is designed to be the embodiment of Christ who brings the message of reconciliation and redemption to those who are in need, both physically and spiritually.

Key Quotes

“The mission of Jesus was and is to preach the good news of the kingdom of God, to say to one and all, ‘I am the King of kings and Lord of lords, and I am using My power to fix everything that sin has ruined.”

, Tweet

// (Page 32)

“As evangelicals tried to distance themselves from the social gospel movement, they ended up in large-scale retreat from the front lines of poverty alleviation.”

, Tweet

// (Page 44)

Chapter 2

What’s the Problem?

What is the main poverty problem? North Americans tend to describe poverty in terms of deficit of resources. However, when poor people from all over the world are asked the same question, they speak, not in terms of resources, but in psychological terms such as shame, inferiority, powerlessness, humiliation, fear, hopelessness, depression, social isolation, and voicelessness. The causes and effects of poverty go much deeper than possession of resources.

Poverty can be traced, biblically, to the beginning when God created humanity to relate to Him, self, others, and the rest of creation. The Fall impacted all of these relationships, and they resulted in poverty.

Wrongly identifying the problem as only relating to material poverty, combined with god-complexes of the materially non-poor and feelings of inferiority of the materially poor, has led to poverty alleviation efforts hurting both parties.

Key Quotes

“Defining poverty is not simply an academic exercise, for the way we define poverty — either implicitly or explicitly — plays a major role in determining the solutions we use in our attempts to alleviate that poverty.”

, Tweet

// (Page 52)

“This is none other than the lie of the health-and-wealth gospel: spiritual maturity leads to financial prosperity.”

, Tweet

// (Page 66)

Chapter 3

Are We There Yet?

Based on the previous chapters, what does successful poverty alleviation look like? It is the ministry of reconciliation: moving people closer to glorifying God by living in right relationship with God, self, others, and the rest of creation. This requires poverty alleviation to be highly relational and process-focused instead of impersonal and product-focused.

This also requires recognizing that poverty comes out of broken individuals and broken systems. These both have to be addressed by understanding dominant Western worldviews versus the rest of the world. The worldview that is held by those who seek to help the poor determines how they try to help. Unfortunately, most people who participate in poverty alleviation believe that all that is needed is provision of resources and technology to master those resources.

Key Quotes

“Poverty is rooted in broken relationships, so the solution to poverty is rooted in the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection to put all things into right relationship again.”

, Tweet

// (Page 73)

“Our perspective should be less about how we are going to fix the materially poor and more about how we can walk together, asking God to fix us both.”

, Tweet

// (Page 75)

Chapter 4

Not All Poverty is Created Equal

One of the biggest fallacies in poverty relief is trying to treat all poverty the same. Some situations call for relief, which is the urgent and temporary provision of emergency aid to reduce immediate suffering from a crisis. Some require rehabilitation, which seeks to work with the people to restore them and their community to the positive elements of their pre-crisis condition. Most situations need development, which is the process of ongoing change that moves all people involved, both the helpers and the helped, closer to being in right relationship with God, self, others, and the rest of creation.

Much harm is done to both the helper and the helped when relief is applied to situations in which rehabilitation or development would be more appropriate. When the wrong solution is applied (i.e. resource, spiritual, knowledge, labor, or managerial), then paternalism can result, creating a greater problem than before.

Key Quotes

“If they need help, give it; but if they do not, your giving may do harm.”

, Tweet

// (Page 107)

“All of us need to remember that the materially poor really are created in the image of God and have the ability to think and to understand the world around them.”

, Tweet

// (Page 111)

Chapter 5

Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, and Their Assets

After the correct intervention is determined, what is the next step? Many organizations begin by trying to ascertain the needs of the community. However, this communicates to those who are being helped, “There is something wrong with you. How can I fix you?”

The better solution is to begin with determining the assets of the community to help them in their own recovery. One tool to help with this is an “asset-based community development” (ABCD) assessment. ABCD asks the materially poor how they can be stewards of their own gifts and resources to help restore themselves and their community to being what God created them to be.

Key Quotes

“Asset-based approaches to poverty alleviation should not be seen as denying the fact that low-income people — like all of us — have glaring needs. Some of these needs emanate from their personal sins; some result from unjust social, economic, political, and religious systems; and some have come from natural disasters resulting from Adam and Eve’s sin.”

, Tweet

// (Page 120)

“When considering bringing in outside resources, we must always ask two questions: (1) Is it too much? (2) Is it too early? It would be far better to let a nonemergency need go unmet than to meet a need with outside resources and cripple local initiative in the process.”

, Tweet

// (Page 121)

Chapter 6

McDevelopment: Over 2.5 Billion People Not Served

Since North Americans tend to be monochronic in their view of time as an nonrenewable resource, most poverty alleviation efforts by North Americans tend to focus on speed, efficiency, and replication that is done for and to those experiencing poverty. This results in a blueprint model where poverty alleviation is reduced to a standardized product. Unfortunately, this approach only appears successful in the short-term.

Long-term success is achieved through a learning process focus that incorporates the participation and ownership of the community members experiencing poverty. It is key for all members of the community to have a voice in their own recovery and poverty alleviation.

Key Quotes

“Participation is not just the means to an end but rather a legitimate end in its own right.”

, Tweet

// (Page 136)

“In many poor communities, there is considerable diversity in terms of ethnicity, race, gender, age, religion, and socioeconomic status. Hence, it is important to make sure that each group has meaningful participation both because each group may bring a unique perspective and because participation is an important goal in its own right. In particular, it is vital to give a ‘voice to the voiceless’ by looking for ways to make it safe for those on the margins to express their views throughout the process.”

, Tweet

// (Page 141)

Chapter 7

Doing Short-Term Missions Without Doing Long-Term Harm

American Christians spend billions of dollars on short-term mission trips to impoverished parts of the world. This is a good thing but can have negative results for the long-term development of people in poverty.

If the focus is not on long-term relationships and development, then a short-term mission trip can be reduced to a working vacation with the primary goal of making the helpers feel good about themselves or giving them an amazing experience. This makes the poor people they are helping merely an object in the mission that is really focused on the helpers rather than the glory of God and helping others.

Much of the money that is spent to give North American Christians a positive experience for two weeks could actually fund indigenous pastors and ministers for years of culturally relevant and empowering ministry. Cultural education, training, and planning can make short-term mission trips have a greater long-term impact.

Key Quotes Test

“It is crucial that North American STM [short-term missions] teams move beyond ethnocentric thinking that either minimizes these cultural differences or that immediately assumes that middle-to-upper-class North American cultural norms are always superior to those of other cultures.”

, Tweet

// (Page 155)

“Development is a lifelong process, not a two-week product.”

, Tweet

// (Page 157)

Chapter 8

Yes, in Your Backyard

Just like with the Great Commission, poverty alleviation starts at home. Churches should begin in their own communities and cities. This requires understanding the long reaching impact of broken people and broken systems.

The blame for poor people’s situations cannot be placed solely on their individual brokenness or broken systems. Poor people are sometimes hard to employ because of their own sin, behavior, and decision-making. Sometimes the cards are stacked against them because of the system in which they find themselves a part of.

Education, life skill development, and job preparedness are the primary ways that helpers can address poverty in their communities. Developing relationships and supportively coming alongside those they are helping reaps the greatest returns when helping the poor.

Key Quotes

“Poor people are often at the mercy of systems created by the powerful. Hence, poverty-alleviation efforts need to address both broken systems and broken individuals, using highly relational approaches whenever possible.”

, Tweet

// (Page 171)

“Economic globalization highlights the need for a strong education system that produces workers not just with vocational training but also with sufficient general skills and basic capacity to learn so that they can adapt to a rapidly changing, global economy.”

, Tweet

// (Page 172)

Chapter 9

And to the Ends of the Earth

While poverty alleviation begins at home, Christians are also commanded to help those all around the world. One way to help alleviate poverty in other nations is through microfinancing. Due to the value difference between the American dollar and currencies in Majority World nations, Christians can help support local micro-business owners through low interest loans.

These types of financing options can be provided through a microfinance institution (MFI), which is essentially a bank that specializes in microloans to poor people, a savings and credit association (SCA), locally controlled and supported loaning organization, or a business as mission (BAM) model.

These models have great potential as well as shortcomings. North American churches would do well to participate in these models to better help poor people in Majority World nations.

Key Quotes

“Like all of us, poor individuals often suffer from their own rebellious hearts, faulty worldviews, and immoral behaviors. A failure to address these by focusing only on the fallen systems surrounding poor people will fail to bring about the reconciliation of relationships that is at the heart of poverty alleviation.”

, Tweet

// (Page 189)

“Many churches and missionaries lack a holistic vision, believing that they are to care only for people’s spiritual needs.”

, Tweet

// (Page 196)

Chapter 10

Excuse Me, Can You Spare Some Change?

Many churches are beginning to understand that poverty is not simply a lack of resources, but a much more complex and deeper issue. It requires deeper relationships, greater prayer support, and a commitment to process over product.

We should recognize ‘triggers for change’ which are usually a recent crisis, the burden of the status quo becoming so overwhelming that an impoverished person wants to pursue change, or the introduction of a new way of doing or seeing things that could improve their lives. It also includes mobilizing supportive people, celebrating success, and being committed to a continual learning process.

Key Quotes

“Ultimately, lasting positive change is impossible without the power of the Holy Spirit, so praying for change is the central tool in the development process.”

, Tweet

// (Page 207)

“Development can only occur with people who are willing to change.”

, Tweet

// (Page 216)

Chapter 11

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!

With all of this information shared so far, many Christians and churches are compelled to help in a new way. There are two primary levels with which churches and Christians can help others in their own communities and abroad: the household level and the community level.

The household level of help requires the church or organization understanding their own assets and abilities, partnering with existing organizations in their communities, and adopting asset-based, participatory policies. This allows the church to come alongside families rather than simply “doing for” or “doing to” them.

Community level help requires a much more context-relevant approach where cultural and subcultural fears and assumptions have to be considered. No matter what level a church decides to help others at, respect, consideration, and love have to be at the forefront of the ministry.

Key Quotes

“If a life-changing crisis is not at play and the person is unwilling to engage in constructing an action plan, then they, not you, are refusing help.”

, Tweet

// (Page 227)

“Here is the punchline: Even the average North American who walks into most materially poor churches and communities in the Majority World is Donald Trump in that context.”

, Tweet

// (Page 240)

Conclusion

Poverty is an extremely complex issue that requires long-term, relational approaches over short-sighted quick fixes. When a fundamental misunderstanding of poverty and the people it impacts happens, helpers can do more harm than good in their attempts to alleviate poverty. The authors have revealed the need for a different approach to facing this tremendous issue.

Everyone Is Broken and Poor

All people are broken and poor in different ways.

Tweet

Poverty of Relationships

Poverty is a result of broken relationships with God, self, others, and the rest of creation.

Tweet

Understand How Best to Help

Misdiagnosing poverty-needs results in the wrong alleviation efforts and does more harm than good.

Tweet

Book Review & Analysis

AccelerateBooks Score: / 5

What Makes It Unique?

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Strengths

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Weaknesses

Final Review

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Book Summary

Main Idea

Key Insights

Key Insight 1

Key Quotes

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// (Page 45)

// (Page 59)

// (Page 61)

// (Page 220)

Application Questions

Key Insight 2

Key Quotes

// (Page 54)

// (Page 55)

// (Page 59)

// (Page 213)

Application Questions

Key Insight 3

Key Quotes

// (Page 99)

// (Page 101)

// (Page 109)

// (Page 206)

// (Page 243)

Application Questions

Chapter Ideas

Chapter 1

Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?

Key Quotes

// (Page 32)

// (Page 44)

Chapter 2

What’s the Problem?

Key Quotes

// (Page 52)

// (Page 66)

Chapter 3

Are We There Yet?

Key Quotes

// (Page 73)

// (Page 75)

Chapter 4

Not All Poverty is Created Equal

Key Quotes

// (Page 107)

// (Page 111)

Chapter 5

Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, and Their Assets

Key Quotes

// (Page 120)

// (Page 121)

Chapter 6

McDevelopment: Over 2.5 Billion People Not Served

Key Quotes

// (Page 136)

// (Page 141)

Chapter 7

Doing Short-Term Missions Without Doing Long-Term Harm

Key Quotes Test

// (Page 155)

// (Page 157)

Chapter 8

Yes, in Your Backyard

Key Quotes

// (Page 171)

// (Page 172)

Chapter 9

And to the Ends of the Earth

Key Quotes

// (Page 189)

// (Page 196)

Chapter 10

Excuse Me, Can You Spare Some Change?

Key Quotes

// (Page 207)

// (Page 216)

Chapter 11

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!

Key Quotes