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!
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