Life-Changing Stories

YOUR SUPPORT CHANGES LIVES

Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.

We Know The Cure!

I received an e-mail today from my doctor’s office asking this question: “Is it allergies, a cold, the flu, or pneumonia?” This question led me to ask myself a similar question about our work here at Good Samaritan: “Is it helping, a band-aid, a temporary fix, or the cure?” At the doctor’s office, I want to know what is wrong with me. I want a cure. I believe this is what the men who come through the doors of Good Samaritan want: answers and a lasting cure for their problems.

After 30 years of working in the ministry of dealing with people with addictions, the Lord has led me to recognize what works and what doesn’t. There are many “addiction help” programs and agencies in the Richmond area. Some of these programs are helping; some are just a band-aid, and some only provide temporary help. At Good Samaritan, we offer the cure! Let me explain in more detail:

Helping: These programs rely heavily on meeting physical needs. Some even provide job training. However, most fall short of teaching accountability for actions and complete recovery from sins.

A Band-Aid: Others are putting a Band-Aid on their needs without healing the problem. I remember when we first came to Richmond to start Good Samaritan; the city offered us $16,000 to help us get going. That was a lot of money in those days, but there was a condition. In order to accept this money, we would have had to deny Jesus and the truth found in the Word of God. I told the city, “Thanks, but no thanks!” We would not take the money and become another Band-Aid on another corner.

Temporary: Some provide just a meal, a shower, and a night’s sleep. The next day, they are back on the streets again until check-in time later in the day. Then, the process repeats itself all over again. Physical needs are met without providing any hope for the future.

The Cure! Lasting change deals with both the physical and spiritual condition of a person by:

Providing food, shelter, and safety
Holding the participant accountable
Providing job training and education
Addressing responsibility–to be on time, to not quit
Helping them understand the past and look to the future
Reconciliation with his or her family

Most importantly, lasting change occurs when you provide him or her with an opportunity to know Christ on a personal level. In Matthew 16:26, Jesus said: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Decades of experience have taught us that this is the winning formula for lasting change in a person’s life. At Good Samaritan Ministries, we love them enough to think long-term, to help them change their lives, and to provide them with the tools to live a fruitful and meaningful life. – Dr. Michael D. McClary, Pastor