Missions Apart from Money

The Provider God

Until now, I have been involved in mission works of one kind or the other for almost 6 years. While it is where I feel most alive, one niggling aspect continues to perturb me. We do not have a step-by-step guide to doing missions, but there is an existing understanding of that concept, and how it is generally done. So it makes me wonder, if it is possible to do missions without money. 

Today money seems to be the driving force behind any kind of tangible movement on the fields. A fundraising for a building, a sponsorship for a kid, a donation drive for community development, and the list stretches on. Money is a tool, and God can certainly utilize such useful tools to further His wonderful works, but as of now, what is the propensity of the ministries growing apart from money. 

There is an unspoken need for tangible security perpetuating the missions scene- young men are repeatedly told to save up and be prudent in preparation for future missions. Here, take a breather and remember- where does accumulation of wealth stand? When the rich young ruler wanted to follow Jesus, the explicit command given was to give away everything. How does everything relate to saving up for the future? I say, there is no way for such to reconcile. Pastor Francis Chan preached a message about this when he was condemned for giving away the entire royalties he received from his best-selling Crazy Love. People labelled him a spendthrift, a squanderer, who was not wise in stewarding God's gifts to him. The nicer people came along and told him about saving up for emergency, to which he responded brilliantly: where we are now, in the far east, girls and children are trafficked in astonishing quantity every day, people are dying from reasons known and unknown. How does that emergency compare?

See, out of an insecurity births forth much more insecurity. Let us revisit the bible, when Peter said "silver and gold I have none, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Christ, stand up and walk." Ministry needs not be built upon financial foundation, and it should not be anyways. The only time when Jesus used money was when He got His disciples to buy the donkey for the triumphant entry. 

I say it is about time that we return to basics. Let the Provider be the provider. It is prayers where we build the Kingdom of God, because prayer is the only way to be linked to the source. Oh God, teach us Your ways. When all point toward money as the only possibility, won't You just take over and show us how.