For the last nine years, we have lived upon nothing more than donations of people, both individuals and churches, who have supported our family to do the work that God has called us to do. Generally speaking, I have found that we do not like to talk much in the church about money and its use, but I will say that I believe that it is one of the most important topics that we should be discussing.
Why?
Because from my experience, there have been few things that have stretched me and grown my own faith than to have to live based on the donations that others have given so that we can live and do the work that we are doing.
For nearly 20 years, I worked in a corporate job, working my way through various jobs and roles, earning a salary and various bonuses as a result of my work performance. I knew and acknowledged God’s provision, but if I am being honest, I rarely thought of it. I was the one earning the money and the one upon whom my livelihood depended. I was providing for myself and for my family.
But when we sensed a call to change careers and move to Sicily to work here, to make disciples and plant churches amongst the unreached, amongst those who have not known Christ, everything changed. No one came to me asking if they could give me money. No one suggested that they had a bunch of money, and if I just was willing to move to Sicily to plant churches, then they would give it to me. No, it doesn’t work like that.
Instead, it is a discussion related to the vision that God has given to you. God had put his heart for the unreached within us, a heart to see those who have not heard the name of Jesus truly know him, and we needed to communicate that heart, that vision, to others who would listen, who would partner with us and send us. Yes, that meant prayer. We needed people to pray for us. But that also meant that we practically needed to be supported to be able to go and do the work. Money must be involved, or nothing of this vision that God had laid upon our hearts would become a reality.
I was reminded of this as I read the first few verses of Luke 8 today. Jesus was traveling from town to town and doing his work full time. How did he do it? How did he live, and for that matter, how did his disciples live and eat while they did the work? Both Jesus and the disciples were supported by those who shared the vision of what God was doing through his Son to reestablish his kingdom:
After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
Luke 8:1-3
The women were helping to support Jesus and all of the other disciples out of their own means! They had received from God and wanted to give to him. They wanted to provide, not only for Jesus, but also for the disciples and the others that were traveling with Jesus.
Without these funds, Jesus and the disciples would not have been able to go. He would not have been able to teach. He would not have been able to heal all of the people, demonstrating that he is the Messiah. It is a result of these funds, this support, that Jesus and his disciples were able to live and thus do the work that we read about today.
God puts vision on the hearts of the people who will go, but he also puts a vision on the hearts of the people who will send, who will support, who will make sure that those who go can live and continue to do the work that they have been called to do.
I am very thankful to the people who have listened to God’s prompting to support us. It has increased my own faith in ways that I could have never imagined as I worked in my corporate role previously. But I am reminded that this is a calling from God, not only for us, but also for each of those who support us. It is HIS work, not ours. Not those who support us, but God’s work, and he uses each of us to complete the role that he has for us.
Now, may we do even more. We must pray for more workers to enter into the harvest fields. We must teach more people to listen to the Lord’s prompting, to his calling, and to be ready and willing to give to the work of the kingdom of God, to see his work go forward, to see his kingdom continue to expand.