You may have heard it here before, but at Life Action we dream of millions of God-astonished lives, in action with him, shattering divisions, injustice, and lostness.
One of the ways we work towards this is by encouraging every believer to develop a lifestyle of sacrificial, Christlike giving. At almost every event, we spend time digging into the why and how of Christian generosity. This may sound self-serving. After all, I’m a support-based missionary working for a religious non-profit, right? But our mission is bigger than our own bank account or the ministry’s bottom line. We think every Christian is called to be as generous with their resources (money, time, things, abilities) as God is with his. How would the world change if we really understood that we are stewards and caretakers, not owners and consumers?
You’ve probably gotten a lot of emails today from several fine organizations vying for your charitable consideration on this Giving Tuesday. And I’m with them! I’m not above making my case for you to direct some of your year-end giving to our cause!
But in light of our mission to Inspire Your Next Yes to God, I want to take a moment to encourage you to think bigger this year. This year has been one of change, adaptation, frustration, uncertainty, and there’s no guarantees that 2021 will be any different. When you think about what the world needs in the coming year, ask yourself what are you doing today to make that happen? Here are some ideas to help you think about how to leverage your resources to be the change you want to see.
Volunteer
Ask your pastors if there’s an area where you can put your time and talents to use. Contact your local crisis pregnancy center, homeless shelter, or food bank to see if there’s any way you can help. Talk to a local school, hospital, or library or reach out to your local city or county leaders. Maybe even organize a group to do something with you! Get your kids and maybe their friends involved!
Give
I get it, things are tight right now. Financial outlooks and job security are uncertain. The human impulse is to tighten things up and cut out non-essentials. The Christian understanding is that sacrificial giving is an essential part of our life, whether in feast or famine. Let’s show the world that whatever might be happening in the world around us, we will not fear. We will continue to extend ourselves for God’s work in this world. Here are some ideas you can pray about in directing your giving:
- Your Church – maybe you should just talk to your pastors and see if the real need is to overcome a budget shortfall in your own church’s budget. They may be promoting a year-end giving focus for missions or general charity that you can participate in.
- The Poor and Oppressed – if you’re reading this, chances are that you are among the most wealthy and powerful group of people in the world. It never feels like that, but the reality is that there are people trapped in slavery and poverty here and around the world. In addition to supporting the kinds of local organizations I mentioned above, consider giving to an organization that works worldwide. For instance, for years we’ve appreciated the work of IJM in fighting injustice, slavery, and trafficking around the world. This year Amanda and the girls are participating in a fundraiser called Dressember to help raise money for IJM. They are just one out of hundreds of nonprofits that work to show mercy and fight for justice across our country and the world.
- Gospel Missions – You probably know a missionary that would be blessed by a special gift this time of year. If you’re not sure how to, reach out to your pastors or their mission board to see how to make that happen. What a neat opportunity for you to build a more personal relationship with a domestic or overseas gospel worker by showing them kindness during the holidays! There are also domestic organizations to support, like like The Crete Collective which is working towards planting churches in urban areas that are often overlooked.
Partner with us!
I’ll close with a short plea to consider our family in your giving. God has called us to this ministry of preaching, teaching, discipleship, and mentoring. We count it a privilege to have this avenue to pour into churches, pastors, and our team. But it has also involved certain challenges and sacrifices. Right now we are praying for $1500 a month of additional support. One-time gifts are also helpful in meeting that need. Would you pray about including us in your end-of-year giving or in your monthly budget for 2021? You can do so by following this link.
If you’re like me, this year has been personally challenging. However, even though 2020 turned our expectations on their head, we still were able to see God work in special ways. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, let alone next year. Probably some unforeseen challenges and unexpected joys. Thankfully, we do know the God who is at work in it all. I heard this song today, and these lyrics jumped out at me. I hope they spark some hope and joy in you.
I cannot go on with this evil inside me I step out my front door and I feel it surround me Just know the kingdom of God is within you Even though the battle is bound to continue.
Key Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
The Lee Family 