Some say that missionaries spend a lot of time praying about money, while others don't pray enough. When we face the situation of 'being without' how do we respond?Money is a strange, yet essential tool to enable us to live. Without cash we cannot pay our bills and, as such, become reliant on the state/handouts to stop us from starving and keep a roof over our heads.
So, when we ourselves face difficulties to finance ourselves and our ministry, what should we do? Where should we turn? A biblical principle behind this is that we need to keep reminding ourselves that we are not beggars, or a charity case – though our work is charitable, we are not in 'need of charity'. Rather we are working to serve others, and as such, we need to rely on friends to partner with us. In fact, it is a very healthy model to have that reliance on investors/partners, as it makes us accountable to the actions we choose to do.
Each quarter, we produce a budget which displays income vs. spending for those three months. It compares what we said we would do, to what we actually did. It's known as an accountability report, as we hold ourselves accountable to our investors who choose to partner with us in what we do: in prayer, in support and in physically helping us.
If money were to be no object, it would be very easy to lose track of your calling. There is nobody to go back to with a report to say: this is what I did with your hard earned cash; these are the results of your partnership with us; this is what can be and has been achieved.
Each of us goes through seasons of plenty and seasons of little. When we pray, it is easy to slip into the asking for finances for the bills we have to pay. But we are learning not to ask for money for what we need, but guidance in what we are called to do. We have seen time and time again, that if we are obedient to God's calling on our lives, we see miracles happen. And when we see miracles happen, to whom can we give the glory?
So, when we have financial needs, though it is hard not to focus on the great need that we have to pay bills owed, we need to allow God to do the impossible.
OK... got to go, got some water to walk on!
2 comments:
Nice Post. This post helped me in my college assignment. Thnaks Alot
You have a healthy perspective on it all. And you know .. what struck me .. it is not just in the missionary capacity that we need to take on a healthy view of money. We too have to trust daily that God will make it enough, that God would provide. And as you say, that brings about a reliance on God and an expectation of the miraculous which we would lose if we were rolling in it. Perhaps God knew that ...?
Praying for you and that God really would make it enough!
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