How does a church, ministry, or other faith based organizations find the critical, life-sustaining resources they need to Max Out their Mission? The answer is simple but often difficult for our frail human condition to accept – they don’t.
Those all-important resources like capital, man-power, political clout, and the “friends” that ministries and non-profits so desperately need actually find their way to where they are needed. It is not the other way around as we are accustomed to think.
Simply stated – You don’t find the resources, the resources find you.
In the second in the series on Principles I want to cover the vital issue of resources, where they come from and how we can get them. The principle is this: Commitment Precedes Resources.
To begin with, I am primarily addressing Christian organizations. Now, I have a feeling that this principle is universal and therefore applies to every kind of group or organization despite their religious affiliation or lack thereof as the case may. But, I do know with great certainty that this principle applies to the faith community, to those organizations that bear the name of Jesus and have accepted the call to do his bidding.
In God’s economy, resources respond to commitment. The river doesn’t part until the leader’s big toe gets wet. Manna falls daily from the sky only after the stiff necked multitude enters the resource desolate wilderness on their way to the promised land. 5,000 hungry people are fed after a young lad offered up his simple lunch.
Waiting for resources to materialize before acting or doing is the surest way to accomplish nothing. Commitment requires faith and faith is the enchanted key that unlocks an entire universe full of resources to match a need.
God gives only from His good pleasure. The Lord of the resources does not give out of restraint or obligation or any other exterior motivation but from what gives Him pleasure. Without faith, the scriptures teach, it is impossible to please God. Seeing faith in action obviously gives God abundant pleasure because He always responds in like manner.
Seek, and you shall find. Ask, and it will be answered. Knock and the door will be opened.
Let me tell you a story that affirms this principle.
We had an open position at Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Homes that we urgently needed to fill. We identified a highly qualified individual that we believed could do more than any previous employee in that position to advance the work in that area. However, this prospective employee needed an income figure we were not able to offer.
Believing that she was to accept the position, our candidate stepped out in faith believing God could make up the difference for her. And He did. The day after accepting the position, the new staff member learned that she would be getting some unexpected income that made up the difference between what we offered and what she needed.
Both the organization and the individual employee witnessed resources flowing toward their commitment.
From an attitude of faith, the leadership at Patrick Henry Boys & Girls Homes made a commitment to fill a position with an individual that was more qualified and experienced than the budget would allow. God responded by sending us an applicant with a heart of passion for the ministry and a willingness to take a step of faith. The applicant made a commitment to our ministry motivated from faith, and God responded in kind by supplying her with additional resources.
Commitment precedes resources.