You Don’t Have to Have All the Answers to Be Part of the Solution

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of suffering in the world. Whether it’s families fleeing warzones overseas, single parents struggling to make ends meet, or the person on the corner holding a cardboard sign, there are so many hurting and vulnerable people. And let’s be honest—sometimes we’re hesitant to step in because we don’t know where to start, or we worry our small actions won’t make a difference. But here’s the truth: you don’t have to have all the answers to be part of the solution.

In my years of working with people in crisis, I’ve heard all kinds of excuses for inaction. When it comes to homelessness, for example, some people say things like, “Why don’t they just get a job?” or “I’m not giving them anything because they’ll just spend it on drugs.” Statements like these are not only dismissive but reveal a deeper issue: it’s easier to judge someone than to know their name or their story.

The reality is, we don’t always need to know the full story to offer kindness. If handing cash to someone on the street doesn’t feel right to you, then give them a sandwich. Offer them a bottle of water. Share a smile and a moment of connection. Being part of the solution doesn’t require you to fix someone’s life—it’s about deciding what kind of person you want to be.

It’s not about being someone’s savior; it’s about responding to others the way you hope someone would respond to you in your darkest moment. If you were in their shoes—hungry, alone, and invisible—how would you want the world to treat you?

This isn’t just about homelessness. It’s about the single mom next door who doesn’t know how she’s going to pay for Christmas gifts. It’s about the elderly man in your neighborhood who hasn’t had a visitor in weeks. It’s about the person in the wheelchair struggling to get through the door while everyone else looks at their phone. Being part of the solution doesn’t mean solving their problems; it means seeing them and choosing to care.

We’re not called to have all the answers—we’re called to show up. Sometimes that means sitting with someone in their pain, listening without judgment, or offering practical help in the moment. Other times, it means challenging ourselves to confront our own assumptions and replace them with compassion.

The world is full of hurting people, and sometimes, the solution isn’t complicated. It’s a sandwich. A kind word. A helping hand. It’s stepping into someone’s story, even when you don’t have all the details, and saying, “I see you, and you matter.”

Here’s a question for you: What kind of person do you want to be? Because if you start there, you’ll find that making a difference—no matter how small—is not that difficult. You don’t need to have all the answers to change someone’s world. You just need to show up.