There are those who rely on their own ingenuity to obtain the
necessary funds to cover their ministry's monthly budget. Then there are
others who instead rely completely on God to provide for all of their
needs. One begs, the other prays. Which of these two sets an example of
total trust in God?
In our daily lives we do exactly the same. We
have, after all, bills to pay, and due to adverse circumstances, there
are times when we find ourselves completely penniless, wondering what to
do with our mushrooming bills. Here too, we can use our own
resourcefulness to get out of our penurious situation, or we can pray
and trust in the Lord.
In all honestly, it is much easier to
trust in ourselves. But sooner or later reality will catch up with us,
and we will realize that we cannot always provide for all of our needs!
It's interesting that our battleground often involves the "almighty"
dollar, or whatever the currency in your country is called, and money
concerns do, indeed, consume much of our time. "That's life," many
conclude. But it doesn't have to be that way! Jesus wants us to wake up
from our stupor and realize there is much more to life than this! "No
one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the
other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24, NIV2)
Every day
we face the decision: who will I truly trust? We either devote ourselves
to money or to God. The two cannot go together!
Interestingly,
right after verse 24, Jesus elaborate this crucial point: "Therefore I
tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or
about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the
body more than clothes?" (Matthew 6:25, NIV2)
In other words,
when we put our trust in the Lord, our money worries are unwarranted.
This is confirmed in Jesus' words a few verses later: "But seek first
his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to
you as well." (Matthew 6:33, NIV2) Thus, the way out of our money
worries is to focus on God! He will provide!
Raj Kumar used to be
a successful Computer Networking Professional. One day while attending a
Christian Leadership Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, God called him to begin
a fulltime ministry amongst people living with HIV/AIDS, or "PLWHA" in
short. He was completely surprised, as he had never taken any interest
in these people. Also, leaving such a lucrative career would be suicide.
How would he be able to make ends meet?
Raj decided to follow
God's lead, and as a result, his dad asked him to get out of the house.
Nonetheless, Neolife mission was created, and care is now being provided
to the PLWHA in India. Sadly, most of these inflicted with HIV/AIDS are
rejected by their family and friends, and they often find themselves
alone, with no respect and no means to support themselves. In the end,
they end up dying without hope. Even though the whole world may seem to
hate them, our God still loves them dearly. This is why Raj gave up his
career: To bring hope to the hopeless.
One of his big problems
was where to find the necessary funds to sustain such a ministry. He
decided to follow Jesus' example. After all, all Jesus' needs were
provided by His Father! "By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I
hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him
who sent me." (John 5:30, NIV2) So whenever he found himself in need,
Raj prayed, and every time, God provided. Never once has he ever had to
put out a call for funds. His Heavenly Daddy knows his every need, after
all, and that is all that counts.
The PLWHA are being cared for
and many have come to know the hope that comes from the Risen One. With
a board of eleven members, along with numerous volunteers, Neolife
Mission is effectively making a difference in this world. Their
exemplary trust in their provision from above attracts the hopeless like
never before. After all, God's Kingdom is a Kingdom of power, and not
just in word only!
Who will we trust?
Rob Chaffart
Join us next time for Kingdom of Power, Part 5, where we will discover
how one church that trusts in God alone can make a difference, not only
locally, but also nation and worldwide!
My Empty Pockets. A Kingdom of Power, part 4
Today's Bible Verse:
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)
My Empty Pockets. A Kingdom of Power, part 4
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