I’ve been wanting to write this blog for a while. Fundraising is something a lot of missionaries do and I’m currently in the middle of what will probably be the biggest fundraiser of my life. Fundraising is uncomfortable. It’s uncomfortable for me to ask people for money and I’m sure it’s uncomfortable for you when I ask you for money. I decided to write this blog to dig deeper into what the scriptures say about fundraising. I figured if I’m asking all of you wonderful people to help me raise $18,000, then I should know what the Bible says and so should you!
To start, before we’re allowed to start fundraising for the WR, we have to take an online fundraising course. Here are a few things I learned through these lessons ( the following is mostly straight from the lesson/Bible study…so it doesn’t count as plagiarizing if I admit it from the start, right?):
- Through fundraising we have greater intimacy with Him…because we have to draw near and rely on Him through the process.
- Luke 6:46-49 I have to put away my pride. I might be able to raise $18,000 by some fluke on my part, but God’s way is firm and built for this season. I would rather build my house on the solid rock than take a chance somewhere else.
- I have to forsake my own abilities, strength, and plans for God’s. God knows what he is doing and he knows how everything will work out. I have to have faith in His plan.
- Philippians 4:6-7 I must reject my spirit of anxiety and worry. Anxiety is the thief of joy and peace. God wants the fundraising process to be a joy and a blessing. (I struggle hard with this one)
- Mark 5:21-24 & 35-43 Reject the spirit of fear. Fear keeps us from seeing and doing all that God has to offer. If I was too scared to try and raise the money for the WR then I would never get to go and see all the amazing things He wants to show me. Fear only creates limitations. “DO NOT FEAR, ONLY BELIEVE”
Why does God ask us to fundraise? First, through the process, God is able to teach us so much more about Himself and about ourselves. Second, God is a trustworthy and faithful father and fundraising is an opportunity for us to experience that first hand.
All that stuff above this has mostly been for me…why should I fundraise? Why is God making me do this and so on. Now, lets get to you, my supporters, friends, and family. God invites us into interdependence with each other. He does this to bring us up in the truth that we are not our own. It is his design that we rely on each other, that we may be closer to him.
Now, let’s get into why Christians should support each other.
Proverbs 30:8-9
In the act of donation, both parties are spiritually benefiting. The giver and receiver must acknowledge that their life and their resources are not their own. The giver releases their sense of ownership and the receiver in accepting the nature of its source. Both giving and receiving breed a spiritual humility that brings each party into closer communion with God…acknowledging that it’s all his in the first place!
I’ve been pretty inactive on the fundraising end of things lately, because to be honest, the thought of fundraising does cause me anxiety. It almost makes me feel sick. I don’t like talking about it because I want to be positive and joyful and have a peace about it, but anxiety has taken all of that away. I messaged the big group chat that my squad has and I asked them what they were doing to stay positive about the fundraising process. Not much to my surprise everyone that responded was either feeling discouraged as well or had felt that way at some point. Everyone offered up great advice, but this is my favorite thing that anyone said:
“I’m reminded of the story in the Bible of the officials son. An official asked if Jesus could heal his dying son and Jesus said “go home, your son will live” and it says the official took him at his word and headed home. The official didn’t know for sure his son was healed, he just knew Jesus said he was and whether he doubted or not, he had to walk home to find out. Then his servants met him halfway and told him his son was healed and it turned out his son was healed the exact moment Jesus said he’d live. And that’s how it is for us. If we know God has called us to go on the WR then the money is already there, we just have to walk in faith till we see it come to pass! Money is no obstacle for God. He will lead you guys to the right people and provide the money. Even if at times right now it seems like nothing is happening. He’s working behind the scenes. (Shoutout to Tay!)
When she said that it all clicked. Like wow. The money is already there, I just have to have patience and have faith. That took my anxiety away so fast. I’m sure my anxiety will come back, because the enemy doesn’t want me to find joy or have peace throughout this fundraising journey, but I’m here to stay. I feel strongly that God has called me to do the World Race, so I’m stepping out in faith that He will provide the means to do it. I won’t give up and neither will God. That last sentence was a little (a lot) dramatic, but I’m going to leave it in anyway.
Maybe you’re considering donating to my trip or maybe you’re a future world racer going through the same thing as me. Either way I hope you found this encouraging and maybe even a little convicting. I also want to clarify that this isn’t me trying to guilt trip you into giving me your money…I’m 99% sure I hate asking for money more than you hate me asking you for it, but it’s time we start looking at fundraising from a Biblical perspective and not a worldly one.
God has called some to go and others to give. Which one has he called you to?
I ask that you seriously pray and listen to hear if God is calling you to donate towards this trip.
