My central focus for this trip is to grow in my relationship with God. I am working on removing any obstacles that may keep that from happening. I want to be more dependent on the Lord to provide and less reliant on my own resources and abilities. I want to trust Him fully in every aspect of my life and all parts of this trip. All that being said, there is one area in which I have struggled to do this: Fundraising.
First, I want to touch on what the Bible says about fundraising. In his writings, Luke talks about how Jesus and the apostles were supported:
“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 Cuza, 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
Jesus and the apostles depended on God to provide a way through these women and many others. As a present-day disciple, I also want to depend on God’s provision. Paul affirms this desire in his letter to the Corinthians. He makes it pretty clear that as I am proclaiming the gospel, I should get my living by the gospel:
“Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.” – 1 Corinthians 9:13-14
Don’t get me wrong, over the past few years, I have been blessed in my finances. I have been able to pay off most of my loans and live a pretty comfortable lifestyle for someone my age. God has very much provided. However, recently I have begun to realize that having money can be a bit of a mixed blessing. Yes, it is nice to know that my physical needs will be met, but I have rarely had the perspective to pray, “give me this day my daily bread,” and then give God the chance to answer the prayer.
When I first signed up to go on the World Race, my plan was to fully fund myself. If I knew I had to actually fundraise the $18,700 required, there is no way that I would have signed up. That’s a pretty intimidating number and I don’t think my faith would have been strong enough to begin to fundraise that amount from scratch. However, over the past few months, I have seen my squadmates put their complete trust in God to provide, especially in regards to fundraising, and it has been incredibly inspiring. God has showed up big time.
This brings me to today. Right now, I am sitting at $13,050 out of $18,700 – about 70% of the required goal. I am so thankful for everyone who has donated and is donating on a monthly basis. I would love to catch up and talk about what God is doing in all your lives.
However, of that $13,050, about 70% has been my own personal money. I have been using my own savings as a safety net and whenever there is a deadline approaching, I have been quick to pay it off rather than asking for support. I want to change that.
I am going to be fully dependent on God to provide the remaining $5,650 due by the end of January. I am not going to put any more of my own money towards the $18,700 requirement. This is an opportunity for me to trust fully on God, which is, unfortunately, something I haven’t done very often. This is one of the rare times in my life that I do not have a backup plan of my own. I see this as a way to take matters out of my own hands and put them in God’s hands – where they belong.
Consider these passages:
“No servant can serve two masters…You cannot serve both God and Money” – Luke 16:13
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted…Your gold and silver are corroded” – James 5:1-3
“People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction” – 1 Timothy 6:9
“How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God” – Luke 18: 24
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy” – Matthew 6:19
These scriptures point to the concept that having riches alone is not the problem. It’s all about our attitude towards them. I still definitely have a lot to learn about stewardship and how to remain dependent on God when I am blessed with finances and earthly possessions. I am looking to God for wisdom regarding what to do with the remaining $5,650 that I had originally set aside to pay off my trip. It’s an uncomfortable season for me, but I’m learning that growth comes in the uncomfortable.
God is doing some incredible things among my squadmates and He has surrounded me with an awesome team to share this journey with. Subscribe to my blog to stay updated on my posts and feel free to share or comment below. You can also check out my Facebook and Instagram pages for some pictures and more testimonies from my squadmates. I hope that I can share my experiences with others so that we can all learn and grow together! If you have any specific prayer requests, please let me know!
John has some encouraging words for those who are supporting:
“Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.” – 3 John 5-8
You are exercising faithfulness to God in what you are doing for me. There is no doubt that you are taking part in the work of the Kingdom. You are giving to God.
“You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity…” – 2 Corinthians 9:11
