The basic needs of any community can be broken down into three simple components… Food, Shelter and Clothing. When any of these daily necessities is lacking within a portion of the community, the entire community is weakened and unable to achieve the fullness of its potential in terms of quality of life and production capability.
Creating strong communities starts with a simple concept… meet the basic needs of each community member first. Insuring that each person within the community is able to achieve a standard of living which insures a reasonable expectation of quality of life; empowers all the individuals within that community to take part in the overall success of their community by investing a portion of the fruits of their increase back into the community.
A new perspective on giving.
Many Christians today see a disconnect between the current state of the Church and what they read about in the Book of Acts. They recognize that no matter how much they give, of their time and resources, the needs of the community are not being met. People they know are continually hungry and/or in need of shelter and clothing. At the same time a trend is becoming apparent which suggests that the only thing prospering within the body of Christ is our church buildings. The spiritual life of many believers appears to revolve around a fancy new building offering greater entertainment value while lacking the life changing power of the Gospel.
Christians are encouraged to support these ministries, under the guise of building the church, with the hope that cushy seats, fancy lights, and trendy music will be enough to lure in the occasional lost sheep. But is all this talk of prosperity truly prospering the community of the Body of Christ?
What if we changed our focus?
Our culture has proved that simply throwing money at a problem does not result in lasting change. Jesus didn’t teach us only to give of all that we have, but firstly, to seek the Kingdom of God for the answers to our needs. So many people have failed to see this crucial connection. The Church and our societies have for a long time now, sought to answer the needs of the community by giving just enough to keep people in perpetual lack.
Within the body of Christ there also exist outstanding organizations doing what they can to provide on the mission fields. Helping the poor in far away lands. This is a wonderful thing, but fails to address the more immediate concerns in our own communities.
In Matthew 17, Jesus is challenged with a financial need. His answer is startling. He did not ask His disciples to give so that His needs could be met, but instead gave Peter the necessary instructions on how to attain that which was needed. “Go and cast a hook…”, this required effort on the part of the believer, and an opportunity to build their faith while teaching a valuable lesson. “In the mouth of the first fish, you will find a coin…” That coin was enough to pay the tax for both of them, but don’t forget the fish!
They didn’t just receive the coin, they also got dinner in the process. This is a Kingdom principle. If we allow Him, God will provide for all our needs in abundance without us even asking. The key is in the asking. Seeking the Kingdom of God first or the looking to our own strength and resources to meet the need.
A community which seeks God first, will find a natural equilibrium where the needs of that community are met out of its abundance through the process of producing the very things needed by the community… food, shelter, clothing.
So how do we apply this principle? Simple… through investment! Investing in the Kingdom of God the way God intended.
Simply giving to meet a need is a band aid approach! Long term it accomplishes no lasting change in the community. But what if instead each person begins making investments into their community? Investments which directly affect that communities ability to meet its own needs?
This empowers the community to lift the standards of all members by providing more than just a hand out, but a means to do whatever they are able, to contribute to their own well being while helping to meet others needs.
Compelled to Give…
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Cor 9:7 NIV
Paul states in 2 Corinthians that giving out of necessity/compulsion or doing so reluctantly is wrong. Let me suggest that any time we are compelled to give by guilt, without taking the time to clearly evaluate the situational need before God, there is a likely chance that we are not fulfilling the true nature of this passage.
If our own resources are limited, it is most likely because because God is trying to change our own mindsets. He may very well be working on the things which will bring us into a closer relationship with Him regarding stewardship in our own life. The idea of relating money as the seed Jesus was speaking of in Mark 4, Matthew 13 and Luke 8, is taking this parable completely out of context, especially when in each recount Jesus explains exactly who the sower is and what he sows… “the Word of God!”
To expect good results in sowing the Word of God to meet a need without first understanding the situation is fruitless. A seasoned farmer knows that sowing seed on stony ground will never bring forth fruit. In fact, the most seasoned farmers know just the right seed, of what type and nature to plant in what season, and what quantity to achieve the best possible harvest. But this knowledge doesn’t just come from knowing the names of the seed, or in this case a few scripture verses. It requires a great deal of time spent gaining wisdom and understanding, which only comes when we are faced with the challenges of life, and are forced out of necessity to press into God for answers.
Bypassing this process in our own life, or by enabling others through our eagerness to be the first to give, causes a breakdown of God’s plans in the lives of those within the Body of Christ.
Seek first the Kingdom of God…
Remember the parable of the fish we discussed… Our process in every situation of need should be:
- Consult God first
- Be willing to be obedient to God’s will and plans
- Get heavenly wisdom and understanding. (Eyes to see, Ears to hear)
- Allow Him time to work in our own hearts to bring about the needed change within us first.
- Lastly act cheerfully in faith, knowing that the Kingdom of God, and the power of his might stand behind us.
This process requires more from us than a simple act of cheerful giving. It requires an investment into the kingdom. We have invested our time, energy, resources into getting into agreement with God’s plan, and as such we can have faith that good spiritual fruit will be the result.
Meeting the needs God’s way!
Fields Of Zion International members recognize that meeting the basic needs of other community members is of the highest priority. Our challenge is to seek the Lord for a deep understanding of the relevant needs, pressing in like David, until we get to the very depths or roots of the problem. Once that root problem is identified, we can then go forth with the ax or shovel, striking at the problem from the ground up. Pulling these roots out systematically like weeds!
No garden can flourish when the crops are choked out by weeds and stones. No amount of fertilizer can help a garden inundated by weeds. Lets face it, no one really wants to weed, it is hard work. However, weeding our gardens accomplishes many important tasks. Perhaps the most necessary of which is to get us on our hands and knees. To be humbled, and get our hands dirty doing God’s work.