Shame. Fear. Unhappiness. Depression. Inferiority. Powerlessness. Dissatisfaction. Voicelessness. These are not emotions anyone wants to live with, yet for many in poverty, this is their daily reality.

A decade ago, when I felt God calling me to organize my mission work more intentionally, enabling me to serve more people, I discovered a book that has profoundly shaped my understanding of service: When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. This landmark book carries a crucial message for service organizations, missionaries, and volunteers. It challenges us to rethink our approach to poverty and to recognize that poverty is far more than a lack of material resources.

Too often, especially in the Western world, poverty is reduced to material need. We tend to equate it with a lack of food, shelter, or money. But When Helping Hurts opens our eyes to the deeper dimensions of poverty. The authors describe poverty alleviation not merely as giving material goods but as addressing the whole person—their social, emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual needs.

The book calls us to be holistic in our approach, serving not just to meet immediate needs but to empower the disenfranchised, restoring dignity and addressing the underlying issues that perpetuate their hardship. It reminds me daily that effective service is about transformation, not transaction—walking alongside, not walking ahead.