How Meeting Physical Needs Allows Us to Meet Spiritual Needs

Meeting humanitarian needs is our method but making disciples is our mission. We believe that true freedom comes from Christ, but that freedom cannot be understood or strived for if a child is stuck in the dark pits of slavery – with no sign of hope or love around. How does a child learn about Jesus’ love if they’ve never been treated with any worth? How does a mother or father build a relationship with Jesus if they are so sick from the dirty water they’re drinking and lack of accessible medical care they have that they don’t live long enough to even hear about who Jesus is? It is through the example of love, dedication, and sacrifice exemplified by our partners that Jesus’ light is shown to those that have never seen it. It’s just like the old phrase goes – actions speak louder than words.

We want our actions to point towards the love and freedom found in Jesus Christ and we couldn’t do that if we ignored the urgent physical needs at bay.

What Does it Mean to Meet Spiritual Needs

We believe that we are called to meet spiritual needs by consistently pointing towards and acting as an example of Jesus’ love and eternal promise for each of us. We each are in need of a relationship with Christ, and because we’ve found one we are called to help others find theirs. We want each person we serve to learn the incomparable joy that comes from knowing that an eternal life awaits us that is free from the suffering they have endured earth-side.

What Does the Bible Say About Meeting Physical Needs?

A defining verse for the way we approach our work of making disciples of Christ through meeting physical needs is: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” – Matthew 25:35-40

We know that as disciples of Christ, embarking on the mission to share His love and promise with others so that they may also become disciples of Christ, we must first serve them the way God calls us to in Matthew 25 and throughout scripture by providing physical healing.

We hope that you will join us on this journey to empower our partners to share the Gospel by preventing, rescuing, reuniting, and caring for children rescued from slavery as well as providing the life-changing gift of clean water.

How Does Set Free Share the Gospel as it Drills Wells and Rescues Children?

By working to end child slavery through slavery prevention, rescuing children, reuniting them with their families, or caring for them when needed, our partners show love to a child that has spent their entire life being told by the society around them that they’re worthless.

Seeing love. Feeling safe. Having a stomach at ease from hunger pains. A mind free to begin to recover from their trauma. A body recovering from the physical harm they’ve endured. These are the ways we open the door to introduce Jesus to a child free from the harsh grip of slavery. By explaining that our love and compassion for them comes from the unconditional love Jesus has for them they find their hearts begin to open to the idea that that kind of love could exist because they’ve seen it through our actions. When they begin to heal physically, their hearts can begin to trust. And what is any relationship without that?

By bringing clean water to a village that has been outcasted from society and forbidden to use water sources from those villages that are of higher castes – or to villages that are so remote they’ve never known that water was meant to look differently than the water they’ve always had, we’re able to bring a new quality to lives that leave them in awe every single time by the generosity and love shown to them by complete strangers. And to tell them that this clean water is a gift from Jesus that loves them and calls them worthy never fails to spark interest in learning more about a God like that. This is why a partner pastor accompanies our drill crews to every village and makes their home there indefinitely so that they can cultivate personal relationships with villagers and provide guidance as so many begin a relationship with Christ and begin to gather as a church.

Can join us in our pursuit of sharing the Gospel through the gift of clean water and rescuing children from slavery?

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