Most people want to help those in need. That’s a good thing. Compassion is woven into us because we are made in the image of a compassionate God. But as I’ve learned over many years of ministry, wanting to help and actually helping are not always the same thing.
One of the great challenges of our time is that charity has been reduced to feelings. If it feels compassionate, it must be good. If it eases our discomfort in the moment, we assume it must be helping. But when charity is driven by emotion rather than wisdom, it can unintentionally do harm—both to the giver and the one receiving help.
That’s why I want to encourage you to take a few minutes to read an article from True Charity called “The Key to Effective Charity: Image is Everything” It is one of the clearest and most thoughtful explanations I’ve seen on why some forms of charity help people flourish while others keep them stuck.
At the heart of the article is a simple but profound truth: how we view people determines how we help them. If we see people primarily as problems to be fixed, we will try to fix them. If we see them as victims with nothing to offer, we will rescue them. But if we see them as image-bearers—created by God with dignity, capacity, and responsibility—we will walk alongside them.
That distinction matters.
Charity that ignores a person’s God-given agency may meet an immediate need, but it often weakens long-term hope. Charity that restores dignity, calls people to participate, and invites responsibility aligns far more closely with the way God works in our own lives. God does not merely give us things; He restores us.
This article challenges many common assumptions about generosity, especially the idea that giving more stuff automatically leads to better outcomes. Instead, it argues for charity that is relational, purposeful, and rooted in truth rather than guilt or pressure. It pushes back against the notion that the most compassionate response is always the easiest or quickest one.
If you care about helping people—not just temporarily, but in ways that lead to lasting restoration—I encourage you to read it slowly and thoughtfully. Let it challenge you. Let it sharpen how you think about generosity, mercy, and love of neighbor.
True charity is not about easing our conscience. It’s about loving people well.
You can read or listen to the article here: https://www.truecharity.us/image-key-to-effective-charity/
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