The God of the Bible is a missionary God with a worldwide agenda, and he carries out his mission through his people. Christians must have a global vision because God plans to draw a people for himself from every tongue, tribe, and nation. In his providence, he has chosen to carry out and achieve his redemptive plans through human instruments.
Giving is a response of gratitude to what God in Christ has done and how privileged you are to be part of his family.
Christians must be given to spend and be spent for the cause of Jesus Christ. Some participate in these efforts by taking the gospel where it is most needed. Others send and support those who have gone. Hence, one of the responsibilities of Christians is giving to support gospel work.
In our giving, we know that God supplies and meets the needs of his work and his workers. We know that our God owns all things, and he is not in short supply of resources. So one question a believer may wrestle with is if God is going to provide, why should Christians give to missions?
Giving is Worship
It is important that we do not just think of Christian giving as merely giving to individuals or institutions. But every act of giving towards gospel work is ultimately an act of worship. You are giving thanks to God and giving him his worth. You are, in many ways, offering a sacrifice of praise to the Lord. Giving is a response of gratitude to what God in Christ has done and how privileged you are to be part of his family (2 Corinthians 8–9). It is a way of acknowledging that everything belongs and comes from God (James 1:17).
We are Commanded to Give
God expects his people to give to his work and to go to his workers. Every Christian is a partner in God’s harvest (Philippians 1:3–5). As God blesses us with means, we are called to be good and faithful stewards of the blessings. To whom much is given, much is required. And these blessings require our giving to be generous, cheerful, and sacrificial. Is it any wonder that God is often angry with his people when they are not faithful and generous in giving?
God Uses Means
God carries out his purposes and plans through means, often through human instruments. This means that people will not come to faith unless someone preaches (Romans 10:15–17). Pastors will not go unless they are sent. Those who are sent must be supported. God graciously allows people to take part in his work of missions. He provides and meets needs through human means, such as acts of generous giving. For the Christian, it is a wonderful privilege to be invited to participate in God’s mission of saving people from all tongues, tribes, and nations, even through giving.
God is Not Short of Supply
As we think about giving and supporting the work of missions, we must remember the awesome and glorious truth that our God is not in short supply of resources. His work will never lack the necessary resources, and he uses his disciples as a means to fulfill this mission. The words of Hudson Taylor the missionary to China may be helpful and an appropriate way to conclude.
Our heavenly Father is a very experienced One. He knows very well that his children wake up with a good appetite every morning… He sustained 3 million Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. We do not expect he will send 3 million missionaries to China; but if he did, he would have ample means to sustain them all… Depend on it, God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply. He is too wise a God to frustrate his purposes for lack of funds, and he can just as easily supply them ahead of time as afterward, and he much prefers doing so.
Chopo Mwanza is the pastor of Faith Baptist Church Riverside in Kitwe, Zambia. He is a Lecturer at Central Africa Baptist University. He is married to Kunda and they have three children.
