"Can't you do just a little bit more?"  This was the plea from J.G. Morrison in the 1930's as he sought to encourage people to continue giving sacrificially to missions during the Great Depression even though many people were out of work and enduring hardships.

            Money and Missions

                                  
                                Getting "Pursenal"

                                                      by David Parker 

"Can't you do just a little bit more?"  This was the plea from J.G. Morrison in the 1930's as he sought to encourage people to continue giving sacrificially to missions during the Great Depression even though many people were out of work and enduring hardships.

Most of us are aware that missionaries are not permitted to work on the foreign field if they are there on a missionary-related visa (such is the case with the majority).  That is why we support them.  What should they do when we fail to send them their support?  The opinions vary.  Some suggest they stay on the field and live by faith; others say they should come home.

Imagine your family in this situation.  Most missionaries do what we are currently doing - they are looking to their employer for their paychecks.  To them, churches are their employers.  They are doing what most of us do (although all of us, even though we work jobs, are supposed to be looking to the Lord).

When churches start to feel a consistent lack of income, what do you think is going to be cut?  What gets cut at your house when the budget gets tight?  The thing that is loved least gets the axe.  The item you feel you can best live without goes out the window.  And sadly in many churches, it will be missions. Of course, none of us can predict what we will do when things get bad; but let us pray we will have faith (both missionaries and senders alike).

Here is my suggestion to churches facing a consistent shortfall in missions giving.  Instead of cutting missionaries, reduce each missionary's support only in proportion to the amount of the overall shortfall.  Then as the giving increases, raise each missionary's support to the former support levels.  It would be good to write the missionaries a letter, explaining these actions.  No employer retains good employees by making unannounced changes to their pay.  This practice ensures that no one missionary of the church is devastated; and all of our missionaries are encouraged by our good will and fidelity during trying economic times.

I don't think circumstances in most churches require these extreme measures at this point.  If you are like me, it takes more than food and clothes to make you happy (1 Timothy 6:8).  We have all become comfortable with more than we need.  The truth is, we have more of a priority problem than an income problem.

The Church's frozen assets (money that ought to be used for Christ's cause) should be set out to melt in the Sun of Christ's example, "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Whether we will swallow the pill of economic hardship is uncertain; but God's prescription for each of us is a good dose of self-inflicted poverty so that others may be rich.  The safest investment is an eternal one.  If we truly believe this, our giving will reflect contributions approaching secular investments.