As we approach Thanksgiving and the end of our month of missions, I want to share a couple of thoughts with you. First of all, I want to thank you personally for all of your love and support. It is a joy to be your lead pastor! Bailey is a special place made up of extraordinary people. Your prayers, encouragement, laughter, and witness continually remind me why ministry is worth the investment. I’ve read the statistics about how many pastors are leaving ministry (or would like to leave if they could). While I completely understand the temptation to escape the grind that ministry can sometimes be, I believe a large part of why this is the case is because so many pastors are not in healthy churches, nor are they healthy themselves. So, thank you for helping Bailey continue to grow into the spiritually healthy family God intends us to be!
Secondly, I am aware that over the past several weeks, we have shared several ministry opportunities toward which folks can give: Stephan from Hope for Tela in Honduras, Madhukar and Sony with Renewed Hope India, and Kaylee and Nilton with South American Missions in Peru; not to mention the special Thanksgiving Offering for our new kids area. All of this may be overwhelming for some of you! You might even feel it is too much to juggle, wondering, “Can we really do all this?” Or, you might feel guilty that you can’t support all of these things yourself. So, I’d like to take a moment to address these potential questions or concerns. God owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Ps. 50:10). Better yet, he owns the hills, too! So, I am not concerned with God’s ability to supply. If he wants global missions and local ministries to thrive- which I believe he does!–then he can raise up the resources needed and the generous givers through whom to channel those resources.
On the other hand, for those of you who feel your heart tugged every time a need is mentioned, I want to reassure you that it is OK to pause first and ask whether that urge to give comes from a healthy place or a sense of false guilt. Over the years, far too many preachers have played on people’s guilt regarding giving. Paul, however, gives us a healthy perspective on what God is after. In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul writes, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” God isn’t in the business of arm-twisting people into giving. Instead, he wants willing hearts that are surrendered to him. By the way, Paul also says in verse 8, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” Instead of guilting people out of their money, God reminds us that he can bless us with what we need…so we can continue to be a blessing “in every good work.” Thus, as God supplies us with blessings, we give; God then provides further so we can give even more. In the end, our needs are met, and the needs of others are met, as well.
Ultimately, God desires us to be rivers, not reservoirs. A river is a channel through which water flows. However, a reservoir is meant to hold back water and contain it. God chooses to flow blessings through his people to a world in need. Whether that blessing is a word of encouragement, an act of kindness, or a monthly support check, God will use your willing and generous hearts to make an eternal difference!