Retreat or retake?
There is no doubt we live in incredibly difficult times. Especially where I live, there are huge job losses, foreclosures and desperation. It is no less tough for our movement. Like other non-profits and faith-based organizations, we find ourselves in a bind.
It has been interesting to see the reaction to all of this financial malaise in the country and with our movement. Surely, we can live more simply. We do not need all of the things that we believe we need. We can become overly concerned about things.
I am concerned though, that we find ourselves in the spot of cutting out outreach ministries and the people who run them. There is a sense that if something is not effective it ought to go. God does not want things done just because they have always been done. I think what may rankle Him a bit is the idea of retreat. Cutting programs and ministries away, because we can't afford them.
I believe in a way that cutting programs away for purely financial reasons, may be anti-biblical. I wonder why it is we go into retreat mode in tough times.
What if David or Gideon or Samson had retreated in the face of overwhelming odds? What if the prophets had run when the faced hardness, pressure or death? I believe the biblical principle here is clear. When times get tough, we must advance and challenge God to be God. One of my mentors said to me all the time, "God powers His projects." The balancing acts is simply knowing what is God's will and our stubbornness or our utter lack of faith.
Sure, we can all live a bit leaner in this land of plenty. In many respects, we have become building and equipment rich and people poor.
I believe this is the time to retake what has been taken from us. More than at any time, we need to be aggressively, praying, ministering and raising money from the sources God sends our way.
Maybe you are facing the same thing in your ministry. Should we retreat or retake? Am I just too much of a dreamer? Where is the line between good stewardship and running scared?
What do you think?
It has been interesting to see the reaction to all of this financial malaise in the country and with our movement. Surely, we can live more simply. We do not need all of the things that we believe we need. We can become overly concerned about things.
I am concerned though, that we find ourselves in the spot of cutting out outreach ministries and the people who run them. There is a sense that if something is not effective it ought to go. God does not want things done just because they have always been done. I think what may rankle Him a bit is the idea of retreat. Cutting programs and ministries away, because we can't afford them.
I believe in a way that cutting programs away for purely financial reasons, may be anti-biblical. I wonder why it is we go into retreat mode in tough times.
What if David or Gideon or Samson had retreated in the face of overwhelming odds? What if the prophets had run when the faced hardness, pressure or death? I believe the biblical principle here is clear. When times get tough, we must advance and challenge God to be God. One of my mentors said to me all the time, "God powers His projects." The balancing acts is simply knowing what is God's will and our stubbornness or our utter lack of faith.
Sure, we can all live a bit leaner in this land of plenty. In many respects, we have become building and equipment rich and people poor.
I believe this is the time to retake what has been taken from us. More than at any time, we need to be aggressively, praying, ministering and raising money from the sources God sends our way.
Maybe you are facing the same thing in your ministry. Should we retreat or retake? Am I just too much of a dreamer? Where is the line between good stewardship and running scared?
What do you think?
posted by Larry at 8:11 PM
1 Comments:
That is amazing guidance - God powers His projects.
It requires courage and strength to stand firm and insist for more effective and efficient reaching. There is little room for error, the resources are tight to be sure.
No retreating!
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