Money is a difficult thing. Anywhere.
"For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me" (Mark 14:7, ESV).
On many foreign mission fields, a missionary who is living on a salary well below the poverty threshold in their country of origin, is viewed as wealthy in their host country. Since they are foreign, they surely have immediate access to unending streams of money.
Giving money in these settings is simply a bad idea. I can write more about that later.
Even giving THINGS is often a bad idea.
So, here we are, trying to be responsible with our money, trying to live sacrificially, trying to demonstrate to our children that the riches of this world hold nothing for us... but we have to wrestle daily with how to spend our money.
YOU have to wrestle daily with how to spend your money.
As I boiled it down, it came down to one principle: am I spending my money to invest in people?
I host a lot. I mean, A LOT! And I'm thinking it's time to upgrade from market plates and hand me down mismatched utensils. These work fine for our family - our children are in the training years. They break dishes. But when people come over... does this convey respect and honor to our guests?
But it sure feels wrong to think about buying new dishes when our friend, "M", is currently parent-less because her father was put in prison over a land dispute and her step-mom stayed in the village to try to smooth things over. New silverware seems trivial when "P" has lost not one but two nephews this week. "J" sells milk off the back of his motorbike rain or shine in order to send his children and orphaned nephew to school.
We drive people around a lot - visitors, teams, volunteers, staff, children... Our car has proven faithful BUT way too small - it barely fits our family and severely limits our ability to be hospitable and pick people up at the airport (comfortably), carry luggage, or even get Gracie's good wheelchair out with us to the village. So, we've been looking for a bigger van.
The "answer?" Make intentional careful decisions.
Maybe that means new silverware - is your heart's desire to have a pretty table to have a pretty table? Or is your heart's desire to have a pretty table to bless those who gather around it, to make it comfortable for them, to show them respect and give them your best?
Maybe that means a new car - is your heart's desire to turn heads, to drive in comfort? Or is your heart's desire to be able to reach more people, to show them love and compassion?
Maybe that means NOT getting the new car. Not getting new plates. Not eating meat this week. Not having a soda or a fancy coffee. Maybe in this season of life God is calling you to deny those earthly desires and use your money for something else.
Many people did exactly that two years ago - they chose to give up something that they wanted and instead gathered their money and sent it to ACTION - and here is the result in Gulu, Uganda at our home for vulnerable children:
"For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me" (Mark 14:7, ESV).
On many foreign mission fields, a missionary who is living on a salary well below the poverty threshold in their country of origin, is viewed as wealthy in their host country. Since they are foreign, they surely have immediate access to unending streams of money.
Giving money in these settings is simply a bad idea. I can write more about that later.
Even giving THINGS is often a bad idea.
So, here we are, trying to be responsible with our money, trying to live sacrificially, trying to demonstrate to our children that the riches of this world hold nothing for us... but we have to wrestle daily with how to spend our money.
YOU have to wrestle daily with how to spend your money.
As I boiled it down, it came down to one principle: am I spending my money to invest in people?
I host a lot. I mean, A LOT! And I'm thinking it's time to upgrade from market plates and hand me down mismatched utensils. These work fine for our family - our children are in the training years. They break dishes. But when people come over... does this convey respect and honor to our guests?
But it sure feels wrong to think about buying new dishes when our friend, "M", is currently parent-less because her father was put in prison over a land dispute and her step-mom stayed in the village to try to smooth things over. New silverware seems trivial when "P" has lost not one but two nephews this week. "J" sells milk off the back of his motorbike rain or shine in order to send his children and orphaned nephew to school.
We drive people around a lot - visitors, teams, volunteers, staff, children... Our car has proven faithful BUT way too small - it barely fits our family and severely limits our ability to be hospitable and pick people up at the airport (comfortably), carry luggage, or even get Gracie's good wheelchair out with us to the village. So, we've been looking for a bigger van.
The "answer?" Make intentional careful decisions.
Maybe that means new silverware - is your heart's desire to have a pretty table to have a pretty table? Or is your heart's desire to have a pretty table to bless those who gather around it, to make it comfortable for them, to show them respect and give them your best?
Maybe that means a new car - is your heart's desire to turn heads, to drive in comfort? Or is your heart's desire to be able to reach more people, to show them love and compassion?
Maybe that means NOT getting the new car. Not getting new plates. Not eating meat this week. Not having a soda or a fancy coffee. Maybe in this season of life God is calling you to deny those earthly desires and use your money for something else.
Many people did exactly that two years ago - they chose to give up something that they wanted and instead gathered their money and sent it to ACTION - and here is the result in Gulu, Uganda at our home for vulnerable children:
(YUP! We got two pregnant cows!!!)
I don't have the answer for you - that's between you and God. Let's trust God to guide each of us to make decisions with our money that show love for others and concern for God's glory. Otherwise, what is the use of money?
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