The book of James tells us to "be doers of the word not hearers only." This is what we need to do when it comes to the faithfulness of God.
Let me give you a deep look into the soul of a front line missionary: me. Support raising is a weight. It should not be, as the Lord does not bring you somewhere that he is not willing and able to fund. But that being said, it is a weight on the shoulders of the head of a household. As we have a baby on the way and an imminent maternity leave the number coming "in" is never far from my mind. The idea of not having enough to provide for my family is a terrifying thought that is on my shoulders consistently. Why do I put that on myself? Why is it so important for ME to think about this all the time? The answer: my prideful human nature. I think I am the provider for my household. I think I am the one who "brings home the bacon," if you will. How much more wrong could I be!?
Do I have a responsibility in this, yes, without a shadow of a doubt. I will push for it, campaign, poll, call, meet, etc. I will present and persuade without question. But at the end of the day, all of my pandering for support has nothing to do with whether support happens or not. The one who provides for my family is the Most High Lord. The only thing that can spur individuals to join my partnership team is the Holy Spirit. The end.
Today
Matthew 6 tells us to not to be anxious about tomorrow because it already has enough to be concerned about. Temper this idea with Proverbs which tells us repeated to plan, and prepare for tomorrow. We are to save, to store up; but we are not to worry. The Jewish mindset of faith is to think and have faith for today. The Lord Almighty will provide what you need for today, and then tomorrow he will provide what you need then. In the western world we want to "know." Knowing has caused us to think about tomorrow more than we think about today.
The Lord is faithful, despite how difficult it is to live as though that is true, it is true. I was recently blessed with a gift of financial support which relieved my mind and took the unnecessary weight off my shoulders. This gift has come right on the wire of time to be counted towards this end of year goal. However, despite this blessing gift from the Lord the responsibility remains on God for the remainder of my support. Faith is a powerful attribute given to us by the Lord. It must be used to release worry and anxiety. Take it from experience anxiety is not worth the energy.
Bless the Lord for His faithfulness!
Andrew J. Belcher
