As I have been struggling to raise funds and see others get flooded with funds. I began to ask God questions like am I supposed to do this? am I supposed to go at a later date? What am I doing wrong? Why did you have me sow into others when I am struggling? I am so close to being training camp funded, which is $3,500 in my account by May 1st which means that it needs to be sent in via online by 4-27. I need to raise $788 in less then a week. Impossible for me but All things are possible for God. He then gently reminded me He is the One who is writing my story, He is my provider and He is going to use this to show Himself Glorified in my life so Others will see it was not in my strength but in His provision that I was able to do this. That the donors and myself will not get the Glory but He will! He also reminded me of a saying that I always loved by a Heidi Baker a missionary to Mozambique “It’s not either or it’s both and more.”
This saying of course has so many meanings and I will go into a few. First of all it deals with the fact that when we are in need we tend to get into a mode that if someone else is in need we quickly go to the defense mode. I can’t do that I need this, this and this. I am in so much need there is no way I can help you or sow into you. Now of Course this brings in worry and doubt, now you are not open to others you are closed off, you begin to worry about things like how am I going to pay that bill, how am I going to get the funds to do what I am supposed to. We focus on the problem instead on Jesus. We forget that Philippians 4:19 says”And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” That Matthew 6:26 says “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” and what about what Psalms 34:10 says”The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.” These are just a few of the many examples in the Bible that shows the God is Faithful. Another Great way to see God’s provision is to hear all the great things He is doing in others, their testimony is to bring you to a higher faith not to make you feel the why me’s that means you have gone into it’s all about me moment and you forget all about the One in whom your eyes are supposed to be fixed upon. I have had a few moments like that lately, but I have also said no this is not going to take root. I have several missionary friends that God has recently had me sow something into or have gone to a fund raiser for a ministry that a friend leads and some may say that I am not responsible with my money but see it is not my money It’s the LORD’s and if He tells me to sow so much or to go do something I am going to do it even if it makes it uncomfortable for me. Why because God is my provider and He has shown himself faithful. He has had several people who are in my same situation raising funds for missions sow more into me than what I could ever do for someone else and it seems to come when I was obedient to give what God asked of me. “It’s not either I am funded or they are funded it’s both and More”
So another part of “It’s not either or it’s both and more” is about our dreams. We all have dreams and if it is a good dream it normally has obstacles , mountains to over come and many struggles to go with it or it just isn’t a big enough dream. Why do I say that well if it comes easy it is something we could probably do on our own with out the help of other and most importantly with out God. God wants us to depend on Him to Trust Him and to have a relationship with Him. He wants us to have impossible dreams so that He can make them possible. He also wants us to share in other’s dreams to cheer them on, help them with it, and encourage them to keep going when it seems to difficult. Why so we can be in that moment the hands and feet of Jesus. The one that hugs them when its going bad and speak something encouraging for them to keep going, The one that cheers with them when they accomplish it. See Jesus lives in all of us so that we can work in and through all of us to help others, love others etc. Recently my good friend won a competition on tv and as I cheered at home with my family for him and then later when I saw the video of all those who were able to watch at church and they had a recording of the crowd cheering for him. I could see Jesus pouring His love, pride and excitement for my friend out through each of the people in the crowd. It truly was a beautiful sight and that night God got the glory through my friends dreams on national tv. God wants everyone’s dreams to come true. “It’s not either your dream or my dream it is both and more.” So here are my questions: what is your dream? what can I pray for you about? what are you in the need for? Let us believe for each other, pray for each other and together we can accomplish a lot and Glorify God together. Will you pray for me and my dream of going to the nations like God called me to? Will you keep me lifted up in prayers? Let us remember that it’s not either or it’s both and more.
