The financial faith factor
"I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away"- Jesus, Luke 19:26 NIV
How this statement should challenge the way Christian ministry organizations operate! Is it a spiritual law? In no way do I understand the Scriptures to promote a "name it and claim it- get rich quick" mentality. However, if it is true that the ones with assets will receive more and that the ones who lack resources will lose more, then perhaps the key question when a ministry finds itself in need of funds, personnel, or other resources, should be "what do we have?" or "what do we bring to the table?"
The idea resonates with a challenge I found myself confronted with years ago. Several of my children were very small. We had very little money and I heard myself complaining about being poor. Instantly I felt the Spirit of the Lord rebuke me. "Don't say you are poor; you are not poor; according to the Scriptures you are rich in Christ."
When my eldest daughter was 14, she wanted to go to Guatemala on a church mission trip but we did not have enough money to pay for it. We prayed about whether she was to go in spite of the evidence that suggested we could not afford it. Almost overnight she began to receive babysitting jobs and monetary gifts so that she had a surplus of funds for the trip. Later she said, "My friend and I are the only ones in the youth group who tithe and we are also the only ones who never have to worry about money." What did she have that created the momentum for her to receive more? Was it faith, trust, assurance....? She certainly did not evaluate her potential based on her bottom line.
I'd love for the blog readers to share their faith/financial experiences. How do you proceed when you find yourself in a situation where you don't seem to have enough? Do you lean on any scriptural premises or promises? Is God a financial factor that you ever consider? Add your comments at the bottom of this post?
How this statement should challenge the way Christian ministry organizations operate! Is it a spiritual law? In no way do I understand the Scriptures to promote a "name it and claim it- get rich quick" mentality. However, if it is true that the ones with assets will receive more and that the ones who lack resources will lose more, then perhaps the key question when a ministry finds itself in need of funds, personnel, or other resources, should be "what do we have?" or "what do we bring to the table?"
The idea resonates with a challenge I found myself confronted with years ago. Several of my children were very small. We had very little money and I heard myself complaining about being poor. Instantly I felt the Spirit of the Lord rebuke me. "Don't say you are poor; you are not poor; according to the Scriptures you are rich in Christ."
When my eldest daughter was 14, she wanted to go to Guatemala on a church mission trip but we did not have enough money to pay for it. We prayed about whether she was to go in spite of the evidence that suggested we could not afford it. Almost overnight she began to receive babysitting jobs and monetary gifts so that she had a surplus of funds for the trip. Later she said, "My friend and I are the only ones in the youth group who tithe and we are also the only ones who never have to worry about money." What did she have that created the momentum for her to receive more? Was it faith, trust, assurance....? She certainly did not evaluate her potential based on her bottom line.
I'd love for the blog readers to share their faith/financial experiences. How do you proceed when you find yourself in a situation where you don't seem to have enough? Do you lean on any scriptural premises or promises? Is God a financial factor that you ever consider? Add your comments at the bottom of this post?
Labels: fundraising, tithe
posted by Lesley | 5:25 PM
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