Josh wrote:It's pretty hard to minister effectively if you don't work. A lot of people will not be receptive to your message at all.
Related to this, I realised in my own past, it's very, very hard to accept input from someone who has never had to face financial difficulties and has a huge amount of financial security, including security through family and church connections.
If you have a profitable business and hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars, and have never faced want or hardship, you simply won't be very effective in being a brother to someone facing a lot of difficulties. People in such a position have tried to help me before, but unfortunately they just have no idea at all what people like me go through. Their advice tends to consist of:
1. Stop being poor
2. Stop being so lazy
3. Stop caring about money so much
I myself am having difficulty being credible in a small mens' finances accountability group, simply because I make a lot more than some of the other people there. I do know what it's like to be absolutely broke, but I've never stayed a few nights in a homeless shelter like one man there. And he does work, he just doesn't make enough money.
It really helps that I can somewhat relate to his position. I asked another man to join our group who makes a modest income but is good at saving/budgeting.
I would argue the people I know who are the best ministers of the gospel are the people I know who have spent time on the streets, often not knowing where their next meal would come from. They truly are able to relate to me when they talk about fully trusting God for all my needs.