BERNARD SHUFORD

I’m torn.

I love to give away money. I suppose I take a bit of sinful pride in giving away money because it makes me feel like a good Christian. I realize that’s counterproductive, but I love to give money to those who really need it and don’t have it.

Just saying that feels really contrary to Scripture, but I have got a point. I won’t bore you with the causes that we donate to, but suffice to say that we really don’t give that much. Probably quite a bit less than we should.

While I enjoy giving money away, I also obviously have some appreciation for and attraction to the green stuff myself.

I’ve been struggling for several weeks with the idea of sponsoring a child from either WorldVision or Compasssion Int’l. Both of these are fine organizations. Both do d a great job. I would sponsor twenty kids if I were really able, but right now we’re not that well off.

But I’m torn, because a new concept has been presented to me tonight.

I could sponsor a native missionary through Gospel for Asia. $30 a month to pay about 25% of the cost of a native missionary in the Asian world.

God has not given me any peace about which agency to choose to sponsor a kid through. What does that mean? I see their lonely eyes and I long to improve life for one of them. Honduras or Indonesia, probably, but that aside, there are so many…

Obviously, there’s a lot up in the air during the next couple of weeks.

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I don’t have a lot of money.

My wife doesn’t have a lot of money.

We have never had a lot of money.

But we have much more than the kids in Indonesia, Honduras, Haiti, India, and Uganda that often grace the pages of Compassion International. We have much more than those who WorldVision offers a goat, a well, or even just a box of food. The millions in Africa with absolutely nasty water that find some hope in charitywater.org and the charity:water project.

I wish I had millions. Millions to give. Because I don’t need it.

I fully realize that if I did have millions, I would find a way to waste much of it. I really want a Harley Davidson, and I really want a Corvette. Perhaps a ’34 Roadster. I would like a slightly bigger house and a new lawn mower, I want a better laptop, and I would like my wife to have that Canon 40D she’s aching for, with some L glass to go with it.

But, deep in my heart, I would love to give it away. To see a child receive their first bicycle. Or even their first toy. To see a child receive medicine. To see the boy with the heart defect – much like mine – that cannot afford the $55000 surgery actually be able to fly to a good hospital and be properly treated.

To see people who don’t know Jesus find out about his love at the hand of a Christian who is truly BEING the love of Christ in action.

How can we say we love Him, whom we have not seen, if we love not our brother, whom we have seen…

What can you do? Can you sponsor a child? Can you give a family the gift of a goat, or a village the gift of a well? Can you offer a prayer for a missionary who may be really depressed today? Can you write a letter to someone who is longing for home?

We don’t all have money. But we have what we have. Don’t be ashamed to use it, and don’t be afraid to give it away. The Father, who gave you what you have, has plenty more where that came from.

Do it. Today. Give.

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