"I THOUGHT YOU WERE STRUGGLING"

Years back, someone abroad reached out to me on social media. She saw the pictures of our outreaches and that caught her attention. She offered to partner with us. That made me glad because we needed more hands to partner with us in spreading the Gospel and we still do.

I told her I'll like her to be part of the social media group we created for partners so she could get regular updates about programs & events. She accepted to join but she exited the group same day.

When I enquired to know why she did that, she said "I thought you were struggling". I asked to know what she meant. She told me that she thought we were struggling financially. That sounded rude to me.I replied saying, "God is our provider".

Partnering with God for his work should not be from the standpoint of trying to help a "struggling God". You should be a co labourer with God working with him to expand his kingdom either by giving your time or money. That's the right attitude to giving.

Knowing she was coming with foreign currency, I could have have resorted to begging and admitting that we are struggling financially so she could send plenty money but I knew in my spirit that her attitude was not right. We may not have all that we need but we are not a struggling ministry.

God is providing for his work without manipulation or pressure on people. Glory be to him alone. I refused to enlist our ministry in the camp of strugglers even though we needed money and would continue to need money but I don't want anyone to give to us out of pity and sympathy.

I could have told her about our projects on and off the field, the several missionaries we want to support, the churches to be planted on the mission fields and so on but I didn't do that simply because she wanted to give to a "struggling ministry" not to the kingdom vision we are running with.

No man can lift a ministry out of struggle, only God can because He is the owner of the ministry not us. When you want to give to a ministry or minister, you need to do so out of conviction about the genuineness of the value the ministry/ minister is adding to kingdom expansion.

Your giving should support a worthy kingdom vision regardless of whether they have plenty or little. That's the attitude you must have when giving. Those who want to help a "struggling ministry" may stop giving the day they perceive there's plenty money in the ministry coffers instead of supporting the vision.

Besides, no genuine ministry can have enough to finish the Great Commission so why would someone think that his/her giving is so big to lift a ministry out of the struggle zone?

Ministers, beware of those who may want use money to Lord over your life and ministry. You're not in ministry for the highest/ biggest donor. No man should take God's glory in your life and ministry.

If you stop giving to that ministry/ minister because they don't look like they're struggling anymore, your prior giving wasn't done with the right attitude. Some may say, "I can't give any pastor riding a car or jet my money". That's a misguided statement.

I noticed some church folks love to see their pastors and his family look beggarly, tattered and hungry. That's their conviction for giving. The moment he rides a car and his children attend a good school, their giving stops. They'll say "he's well fed". That's wrong. The command to support ministries and ministers has nothing to do with how much they have or do not have.

Dearest, you need to have the right heart when extending your finances to a ministry or minister, check the vision of the ministry. Are they involved in the Great commission or they're already in Great omission? Is their vision a kingdom vision or a self serving vision? Are they accountable to God and ministry partners?

Conclusively, give as an extension of your worship to God and love for His kingdom. That's the attitude you must put on.