Tag: International Justice Mission

The GOAT Part 8: Treasure

As we continue our series, the Greatest of All Time, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount challenges us to consider what we treasure most in our lives. He warns us that even while our finances and earthly treasures are fleeting and unreliable, our wealth continually lures us away from devotion to God. In this section of the sermon, Jesus urges us to teach our hearts to treasure Him above all else:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 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 6:19-24, NIV)

It may seem obvious, but whatever we focus on dictates our actions. So, when we set our sights on earthly success and wealth, we will use our energy to fulfill those desires. Conversely, when we focus on God’s priorities, our actions will reflect different goals—and our reward in heaven will last forever. Treasure is anything we value above all else. According to Jesus, determining where our treasure is also determines where our heart is.1

When our priorities align with God’s, we see money as a tool, not a source of status or security. God entrusts us with financial resources that provide for our needs. But beyond meeting our own necessities, we also have opportunities to use our finances for His kingdom– whether that is supporting ministries, charities, or specific people. Usually, whatever motivates us to action is what we prize. When we are overly focused on our own pleasure, comfort, or security, we become self-centered and blind to the ways our material resources could be used for God’s greater purposes.

If you’re not accustomed to sharing your financial resources regularly, it can be challenging to know where to begin. Giving to your local church is a good place to start, especially if you’re benefitting from the resources it provides. Most churches also designate a portion of their budgets to support ministries doing impactful work locally and globally. Beyond donating to your church, you may consider investing in God’s kingdom by giving to ministries that focus on issues that matter to you. For example, when our boys were little, my husband and I started sponsoring two boys around their ages through Compassion International. The desire to see our own children thrive motivated us to support other kids with less resources so that they, too, could thrive. It’s been gratifying to see how the small amount we donate monthly has made a significant impact on their daily lives. Receiving their letters and pictures over the years has also created a bond between us.

Over time our hearts have also been drawn to other places where we feel passionate about investing earthly treasures for God’s kingdom purposes. It’s brought us great joy to devote a portion of our income to supporting ministries that are inspiring us personally and making an eternal difference in the world. Knowing our resources are being used to impact others for good fulfills us in a way that spending on ourselves never does. (Check out my list of ideas below for some inspiration.)

Paul reinforces Jesus’ teaching in his first letter to Timothy: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs…Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”  (1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19, NIV)

The only treasure that is 100% trustworthy is found in God’s kingdom. Our pursuit of Jesus enables us to align our priorities with His in ways that are both spiritual and practical. It opens doors for Him to use our time and finances for greater impact and lets us discover the value of lasting treasure found only in Him. And that is “life that is truly life.”

If trusting God with your finances is a struggle for you, pray and admit it to Him. Ask Him to help you, then take a step of faith and set aside a portion of your income to invest in God’s kingdom. Consider starting a separate generosity fund where you can stash money that is earmarked for giving. Then you’ll have funds available to share as God prompts you. This intentional act will show the Lord you trust Him, change your perspective on finances, and give Him new opportunities to work in your life.

Need some ideas on where to give? Consider these opportunities and be attentive to how the Spirit prompts you. (Click on the names of the ministries to visit their websites and get more info.)

Help end human trafficking and support its victims by donating to International Justice Mission.

Transform the trajectory of at-risk youth by donating to Today’s Youth Matter.

Provide food, medical care, and schooling for needy kids overseas by sponsoring a child at Compassion International.

Empower women with unplanned pregnancies to make confident and healthy life choices through giving to Next Step Pregnancy Decision and Support Services.

Provide quality schooling and mentoring for underprivileged kids by giving to San Francisco City Academy.

Provide food, medical care, and services for the needy by giving to San Francisco City Impact.

Introduce college students to Jesus by donating to Cru.

Educate struggling teens to make healthy life choices by giving to Teen Esteem.

Focusing on the treasure found in the Lord matters more than anything else. Click here to be reminded of this through Pat Barrett’s song “Better”.

1. Paragraph adapted from GotQuestions.org. Click here for full article.

This post complements Bill Haslim’s sermon at CPC Danville “The GOAT Part 8.” Click here to watch.

Giving Generously


Driving through the city on a sunny afternoon, I watched from the passenger seat as familiar sites rolled by my window…ornate Victorian houses, clanging cable cars, trendy stores, chic cafés, and tiny gardens sandwiched between tall buildings. A few blocks further down, the picturesque scene transformed as we passed liquor stores, empty lots filled with trash, and raggedy people sleeping in doorways. One group leaned against a graffiti-covered wall smoking cigarettes and drinking from bottles tucked inside paper bags. A few kids skipped past them down the sidewalk, their fresh faces providing a sharp contrast to the bleak surroundings.
 
For most people, scenes like these cause different emotions to bubble to the surface. Some turn their heads, preferring not to engage the conflicting feelings of guilt and compassion that may arise. Others look on wishing they could help, but feel ill- equipped and unsure about how to intervene in a community struggling with such vast problems.
 
Although I’ve felt those things at different times, that day I was hopeful. I thought of the letters my family receives from a little boy and girl in that neighborhood who we’ve been sponsoring for several years through SF City Impact. I pictured the Christian school they attend that brings the light of Jesus to that struggling neighborhood. The people working there have willing hearts, deep faith, and years of experience that enable them to engage the neighborhood’s practical and spiritual needs. And as you might expect, they have limited resources to fill them.
 
On Good Friday, members of my women’s Bible study made the drive into that neighborhood to deliver Easter baskets to each child and staff member at SF City Academy. Gathering with these women to fill the baskets has been one of the many highlights of being part of this group. Delivering them to the children and staff members is both humbling and fulfilling. It’s amazing how God uses simple baskets loaded with trinkets and treats to show love, encouragement, and support to adults and children who are often overlooked. 
 
This year, it seems especially poignant to be doing this as we’re wrapping up a study on the book of Ruth. Like some of the families who will be receiving baskets, Ruth struggled with poverty and found herself as an immigrant on the fringes of society. Because of her rural setting, she gleaned in the fields to get food for herself and Naomi. This was God’s provision for the poor described in the Old Testament (see Leviticus 19:9-10 and Deuteronomy 24:19-22).
 
In modern times and urban settings, the poor don’t have the option to glean fields, but we’re still instructed to offer support using the same principles. The command to give to the needy is a consistent theme throughout the Old and New Testaments. Jesus taught on the importance of giving many times. One of the most memorable is when He described His eventual return:
 
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25:31-40, NIV)
 
When we give to those in need, it’s as if we are giving to Jesus- the kindness we show them is a manifestation of our love for Him. Giving to the needy motivated by love for Jesus also frees us from expecting gratitude in return. Whether it’s acknowledged or not, any act of kindness done for a person in need is the same as doing it for Jesus Himself.
 
Paul also taught about giving:
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (1 Timothy 6:17-19, NIV)
 
Material wealth is fleeting and uncertain. It’s not a good source of ultimate security. We can rest assured that God provides everything for our enjoyment, not just our needs. True life is not bound up in the accumulation of possessions or material wealth but in sharing what we have with others. Our generosity stores up spiritual treasure for us that is of eternal value.
 
James also had much to say about this topic:
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:14-17, NIV)
 
Our generosity must be rooted in humility and empathy. We share out of the abundance God has lavished upon us, knowing all our resources were given to us by Him. Generous giving reveals our genuine faith while honoring God and showing others that He is for them.
 
 There are numerous ways to share what the Lord has given you, whether it is donating your financial resources, offering consistent prayer support, or volunteering your time. Will you commit to praying about where God might be calling you to provide consistent support for people in need? The Lord often prompts us to intervene in situations that break our hearts. Where is He drawing your attention right now?
 
Not sure where to start? Here are a few ministries doing amazing work with people in need who would welcome your involvement through giving, serving, and praying. Click on them to learn more.
 
San Francisco City Impact 
Compassion International
World Vision
International Justice Mission
Samaritan’s Purse

Feel free to suggest other ministries we should consider in the comments below.

Let Matthew West’s song “Do Something” inspire you to action today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I2csO7_pOI