“One of these days… I will start giving to missions… if I meet that person or ministry that could use my support.”
“One of these days… I will start giving to missions… when I have the means.”
“One of these days…I will give more to missions… when I become rich.”
We can learn three keys to give proactively and generously from the example Paul shares of the Macedonian church in 2 Corinthians 8:1-7. Like the Macedonian believers,
First, don’t wait to be invited to join a missionary’s financial support team. It is easy to become reactive in giving to missions, waiting for the perfect opportunity to present itself. The Macedonians did not wait for Paul and his missionary team to invite them to partner financially. The Macedonians were “begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints.” (2 Cor. 8:4) They approached Paul and his team for the privilege of partnering in the gospel.
Likewise, proactively seek out missionaries that your church sends and supports and ask them about their financial needs. Missionaries appreciate unexpected one-time gifts, but consider also joining their monthly support team. This allows the missionary to plan ahead and have more stable support as you commit to partner with them long-term.
Second, it is easy to become passive and wait until you feel like you have the “means” before starting to give to the work of missions. Paul commended the Macedonian church that they gave “beyond their means.” (2 Cor. 8:3) They give “not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.” (2 Cor. 8:5) They gave at a time of a “severe test of affliction” and “extreme poverty.” This is like the widow who only put only two small coins in the offering. Jesus commended her by saying, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:43-44) Don’t wait till you have the “means” to give to missions. Start by giving sacrificially today! Even if it is just a little bit at first, God will be pleased with your obedience.
God prospers our work not so we can spend more on ourselves, but so that we can have the joy of spreading God’s resources for God’s global purpose.
Third, don’t wait to increase your giving until you have more financial resources. It is also easy to get stagnant and stop growing in our capacity to give more to missions. Paul commended the Corinthian believers through the Macedonian believers’ example, “But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.” The Corinthian church had room for growth and we all have room for growth as well. It is easy, even for those who are already in the habit of giving, to become passive in giving to missions; to wait until you have a surplus of “extra” for missions. Instead, be proactive! Spend less on yourself to give more to God’s global purposes.
In his book the Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn writes, “God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving.” We must reject the American dream that says “You always need more.” Remember that all that you have is the Lord’s and He has given it to you as a steward for His glory among the nations. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:28, “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” God prospers our work not so we can spend more on ourselves, but so we can have the joy of spreading God’s resources for God’s global purposes.
Even when God’s doesn’t prosper you with extra income, you can be proactive by spending less on yourself so that you can give more to God’s mission among all nations.
Can you cut back on meals out?
Can you cut back on new clothes?
Can you cut back on expensive travel and vacations so, like the Macedonians, you can give more to see God glorified among the nations?
As John Piper wrote in Let the Nations be Glad, sometimes we will choose copper over gold to be more generous. “An $80,000 or a $180,000 salary does not have to be accompanied by an $80,000 or a $180,000 lifestyle. God is calling us to be conduits of his grace, not cul-de-sacs. Our great danger today is thinking that the conduit should be lined with gold. It shouldn’t. Copper will do.”
Don’t passively wait to give generously to missions. Proactively take action today, even if it is just one of the following steps:
