Having taken a seat opposite the treasury, Jesus observed how the people were putting money into the treasury (Mark 12:41).
This post is intended to inspire you to give wherever you’ve received significant spiritual benefit. We are not implying you give here. This is to build the spirit of giving to all ministries. Furthermore it is based on the information we’ve gathered from both day-to-day experiences and reliable statistics.
There are over 2.2 billion Christians in the world today. Most of them will have a local church they go to and give offerings regularly. That is fine and commendable. However these days we get our “daily bread” from various media sources online which are almost always free of any charge. Yet for every one of them, there are costs incurred.
There is a great misconception that when ministries ask for money it means they care more about finances than God. Granted there are a few who set up with wrong motives but more often than not, there is a genuine need to pay for services utilized. And often the giving generates motivation to keep going because it saves those behind the scenes the burden of finding resources out of their own pockets.
Not too long ago, I read an article about one young lady who felt called to minister through writing online. She began her journey and the early response was good. She had quite a number of site visitors and her small ministry started to grow. However the giving did not. The numbers increased further and soon the costs were so expensive that she had to put in her own money to supplement. For those of you who do not know, online costs increase with numbers. So eventually the site had high running costs but was not receiving enough to match those costs. Sad to say she was forced to close the ministry.
In the above case there were many beneficiaries but few contributing financially.
From our experience in life, we all know for anything to grow it needs sustenance. That principle is true for all organizations however small.
Latest statistics show Christians in the U.S. for example spend as little as 2% of their income on giving. That tells us that most of their spending will go towards secular causes. In our world today, there are essentially two service providers: the secular and the Christian. And we can choose whom to fund more.
Let me give you a simple example. You have an extra hundred dollars. While you are visiting an online ministry (where you spend much time) you see a message urging people to give and you leave the site. A few hours later you spend the money on a day out to see a popular secular movie. And by doing this you’ve deprived a good organization and invested in a place you cannot reap anything good. Multiply this action by several hundred million individuals worldwide and you understand why a lot of money tends to be in the hands of people who have no regard for God.
The ministries around the world are changing lives and saving lives at the same time. Think about it, every one who gets to know God (genuinely) will cause minimal trouble in society. That’s where the better marriage, father, son, daughter, workmate, leader and society will come from. A true believer is not likely to become a terrorist, a murderer or be involved in serious crime near you. So the more you support those in ministry, the more you change the world for the better.
Support does not have to be financial only. If you are not able to give money at least give words of encouragement, share good content, say thank you to podcasters and video streaming ministers. Support these people because they spend their time and energy giving to you without charge. And that is what God would want, that you help build His kingdom and let the Gospel have as much impact as possible.
Giving is not only Biblically sound but vital. Without it, ministries will fail while negative secular influences grow. If you want to have a better world, want to see more souls saved, and have less things to worry about, put your resources in whatever ministry that has positively impacted your life.
Support Christian ministries because their effectiveness or lack thereof ultimately affects you.