** This week I continue my missions Top 10 of how to set yourself up for success while on the field. Obviously this is not comprehensive, but should serve as a good guideline to help every missionary thrive both personally and with their ministry.
Number 4 – Give
“For God so loved the world He gave…” I think most of us can probably finish that scripture there in John 3:16. Giving has been on God’s heart since the beginning and we know He always gives his best! He gave us life, He gave us his son and He gave us eternity! God is the King of generosity and He calls us to that same place and level of giving our very best.
One of my heroes of the faith is a man named Wayne Myers. He is now 91 years old and has spent most of his life as a missionary to Mexico. Wayne has many things to admire about his life, but his lifestyle of giving takes the cake. There are stories after stories of miracles that came about due to his obedient giving. If you want to know these stories, I strongly encourage you to go to Amazon and look up his book, Living Beyond The Possible. I will let you in on a few of his inspiring quotes:
– Everything in your hand is a seed. Everything in God’s hand is a harvest.
– Give according to your income lest God reduces your income according to your giving.
– We lose when we try to hold on to that which does not belong to us.
– The real measure of our wealth is how much we would be worth if we lost it all.
– The smallest act of obedience is better than the best of intentions.
– There are no victories at bargain prices.
– Prosperity is not measured by what you have but by what you give.
– Only those who see the invisible can do the impossible.
– You haven’t begun to give until you feel good about it.
– Faith is dead to doubts, dumb to discouragement, blind to impossibilities, and knows nothing but success.
– When the heart is converted, the purse is inverted.
I understand that many missionaries are not living “high on the hog” so to speak. I also know that most missionaries don’t have disposable income for lavish giving. That is totally fine, because that is not what God is after anyway. God wants obedient givers. He wants givers who will exercise faith and give above and beyond their means. He wants givers who will give their best just like He does. So how does this practically flesh out??
Let me give you my personal 3 step approach. I believe this approach is inline with the bible and God’s extravagant heart for giving.
1. Tithe to your local congregation. I would encourage your tithe to go to the church where you actively attend. Tithe is not as much a step of faith as it is a step of obedience. We give back our first fruits to the Lord.
2. Commit a percentage beyond the tithe to other missionaries and Christian organizations. This what most people do for you as the missionary, so it’s only fitting you would do the same for others.
3. Have an open hand and open heart to whenever the Lord would lead you to give sacrificially. Sacrificial giving is when you know you are giving outside your means and budget, but you know God is calling you to exercise faith and trust Him!
I could list for you countless times that I have given sacrificially and how the Lord honors that step of obedience. Please don’t miss understand, we don’t give to get blessed. We give because we have been blessed and we want to honor the Lord with our giving. There must always be a heart and motive check when it comes to giving to make sure the giving is from a place of pure motive. When the motive is pure and our heart is rightly aligned, we will reap the beautiful harvest of a life that is Living Beyond The Possible!!
Marvin Slaton – Modern Day Director
