Check Please!

For the last few days, Tim and I have been house and dog sitting for some friends while they are away applying for visas. Our friends live  in a small village outside the city limits of L'viv. The house is located about a mile from a main road. They left us the keys to their car but driving in L'viv,even under the best of conditions is always an adventure, and yesterday the weather turned to almost blizzard like conditions so we really haven't been motivated to leave the house. We have spent a lot of time watching tv. Fortunately, our friends have a satellite tv package that includes several Christian channels. This morning I was blessed to watch Beth Moore and Joyce Meyers. I truly enjoyed and learned something from their teachings. After the messages, both programs included a portion asking for funds to finance the ministries. At this point, I caught myself heading for the kitchen or bathroom.

Later, I was hit by a huge wave of guilt. I KNOW ministries need funding and we do actually try to support other missions. But, if I --someone who knows first hand what it is like to fund a ministry--walk away from the appeals of other missions, how can I expect people ( you) take my pleas for support seriously?

The Bible is full of scriptures that command us to either go or support missions. No one is exempt from doing something. That doesn't always mean something big like moving to another country or donating thousands of dollars. God is most often  found in the small things.( Remember the story of how Jesus fed 5000 people from a young boy's small lunch?)But, the point is none of us is exempt. When we read or watch the fruit of some one's labor and think about how great it is that God is working through that ministry and then our eyes glaze over,our hearts harden, and we walk away from the financial needs to keep that work going its the same as going to restaurant ordering a meal, eating, and enjoying the product of someone  else's labor and then walking away without paying for the meal.

Even Jesus and the disciples had people who made the ministry possible and today we are still reaping the benefits of that ministry. The Bible is very clear,though, that we are to "pay it forward". How you do that is between you and the Holy Spirit.