What we don't see

Recently I stumbled upon my notes for my standard "30-minute church presentation" that I did many dozens of times during my initial fundraising.  It brought back all kinds of nostalgia.

And a great deal of cringing.

I would never, ever give a presentation like that today.  It was hard to follow.  It contained awkward jokes and insider language.  It focused a ton on me and very little on the Lord Jesus.  It spoke of changed lives but did so with very little reference to the gospel - and when the gospel was mentioned, it wasn't clear what I meant by it.  And frankly, I sometimes wonder if I could even explain the gospel at that time if I had to!

What made me cringe the most, however, was how confident I'd been that my presentation rocked.  I'd spent many hours rehearsing it, crafting it, perfecting it...  or so I'd thought.  My critiques in the previous paragraph that are so very clear to me now were not at all clear to me then.  The problem was that I didn't see what I didn't see.  And I must humbly confess that in that regard, not much has changed.

I still don't see what I don't see.

Does that sound obvious?  Perhaps.  But here's the thing: because it's true, it is profoundly NOT obvious at the time.  We don't see what we don't see.  In short, we're spiritually blind.

How we respond to this blindness is utterly critical.  For we can choose to respond humbly, seeking the help of others who see us more clearly than we see ourselves.  God richly blesses that response (see James 4:6, Mt 23:12).  However, Jesus uses very strong language when describing those who disregard their blindness and respond instead with pride and hypocrisy.  Consider these excerpts from Christ's words in Matthew 23:

• Woe to you, blind guides! (16)
• You blind fools! (17)
• You blind men! (19)
• You blind guides! (24)
• You blind Pharisee! (26)

In that same passage, Jesus says that these hypocrites will not enter the kingdom of heaven (13), that they are "sons of hell" (15), that they "have neglected weighty matters" (23), that they are "full of greed and self-indulgence" (25), that they are "full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness" (27), that they are "full of hypocrisy and lawlessness" (28), and much more.  (It gets much worse, actually.  Check it out.)  The point is that there is tremendous danger in being spiritually blind but not recognizing it!

Here's how pastor and author Paul Tripp puts it in Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands:

"The difference between physical and spiritual blindness is that the former is blatantly obvious while the latter often goes unnoticed. A physically blind person is immediately confronted with his condition. Often, a spiritually blind person not only fails to recognize his blindness, he is convinced that he has excellent vision. A fundamental part of being spiritually blind is that you are blind to your blindness."

That was the problem with my 30-minute church presentation.  I never questioned whether it was good.  I just assumed that it was.  More than that, I was convinced that it was.  And I was wrong.  I probably turned off a lot of godly people because of my foolish pride.

That was surely a problem with my 60-minute personal presentation, too.  I thought I was doing just fine, but I never asked others for input.  Honestly, I didn't really care what they thought.  I was contentedly (and blindly) plowing ahead, usually blaming failures on other people, lack of resources or even "God's timing".

No doubt the way I made phone calls was also flawed.  I got some feedback on that for the first few calls I made, but that was about it.  If someone had offered to help, I'd have assured them that I was just fine.  Thanks but no thanks.

I've read some of the emails I'd formerly sent.  (*cringe*)  I've reviewed former newsletters.  (*cringe again*)

And honestly, I'm not all that certain that the stuff I put out these days is all that much better.  But in recent years I've asked more and more people for feedback.  And, unsurprisingly, I've had more and more people respond positively to my messages.

Believe me, friends.  I know how heart-wrenching it is to ask for feedback.  You've poured yourself into these creative works and you're putting it out there for people to tear apart.  And they may in fact do that!  But take heart: because you are a sinner saved by the grace of Christ, your worth is not at all in your creative perfection.  In fact, you were deeply loved before you had any creativity whatsoever.  And you are deeply loved regardless of how well you present.  And you will be deeply loved as you pick up the pieces of your creation in order to rebuild it, humbly, into something far more beautiful than you'd ever imagined.

So let me ask you: do you think you're a good speaker, writer, presenter, or even fundraiser?  How do you know?

Could it be that you don't see what you don't see?

"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." -Jesus, Matthew 23:12

Why I don't need help in fundraising

Fundraising is hard.  It's TOO hard, in fact, and the basic premises of this blog is that no Christian fundraiser can do it without the Lord's purposeful, ongoing intervention.  And so most blog entries are full of reminders about our need for Him.  To learn how that need works, we turn to the Bible.

In the Bible we see many exhortations to confidently trust in Christ's work, to hold fast to the faith, to do good works and, of course, to encourage ourselves when things get rough.  Consider this passage from Hebrews:

Therefore, since I have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for me through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since I have a great priest over the house of God, let me draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with my heart sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and my body washed with pure water. Let me hold fast the confession of my hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let me consider how to stir myself up to love and good works, encouraging myself, and all the more as I see the Day drawing near.    Hebrews 10:19-25, MSV (Me Standard Version)

We are so desperately in need of God's grace during fundraising, and this passage helps us see our need to remember truth and act on it regularly.

Now, don't misunderstand me.  Just because I said that WE are desperate and that WE see OUR need, I don't want you to assume that WE actually need to interact at all.  WE (that is, you and I, individually) have everything we need in Christ.  Well... and I suppose I need my support team too.  And once in a while, hotels.  And mechanics.  But mostly Jesus.  Cause he died for you!  And me!  Individually!

There are some Christians who claim that God also gave us community to help address our needs.  But you and I (individually) know that's not true!  Community was God's design for church services and the occasional small group Bible study, so long as it doesn't get too personal.  The point of such a Bible study is so that the person in the group who knows the most about Jesus can explain to the rest of us (individually) how we (individually) should understand it.

"Community Christians", as I'll call them, will claim that God's trinitarian nature itself is proof of God's approval of community.  What they fail to realize is that God is DIFFERENT than us!  I mean, you and me, that is.  Like, individually.  And I'm all for relying on each member of the Trinity for my growth in holiness and my raising of funds.  So when I get discouraged, run low on contacts or find myself getting bitter, I just need to force myself to remember what God did for me.  Then things get better!

Well, naturally, things don't get better easily!  Cause my heart is deceitful and I'm often blind to my sin.  But, not TOTALLY blind, of course.  I see most of it.  Or, at least a good bit of it.  Cause I've confessed to plenty of sin and every once in a while I yell at someone.  So I just ask God to help me see it, and every few months I do.  Like when I yell at someone and then remember it next time I pray.  I'm still trying to figure out why I yell here and there, but I'm sure it will come to me as I seek Christ.  I'll just keep "considering how to stir myself up to love and good works" and "encouraging myself" as Hebrews says.  The yelling will eventually go away.  Just like my other sins.

Anyhow, those Community Christians don't really know what they (together!) are talking about.  They read translations written by OTHER Christians.  Did you know that most translations are written by big groups of so-called scholars?  If they were really scholars, they'd each write their OWN translation.  Now, I realize I'm a little hypocritical here, cause I don't ACTUALLY know Hebrew or Greek.  But I'm working on teaching myself.  And then I'll know for sure what the Bible really says.  So I'm not worried.  I already know most of it, and I don't need others telling me what it says.

Okay, so the main point of today's post is that I don't need help in fundraising because Jesus is enough.  Hopefully I've made that point clear to us.  I mean, you.  Clear to you.  Cause I already figured it out.  And now you have too.  So, get back to work, and remember: rely on Jesus and no one else - and keep encouraging yourself in that, doing so all the more as you see the Day drawing near!  What a day that will be for us!

Individually, of course.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Aren't you glad that Hebrews isn't quite written that way?  But... do we act like it is?)

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.    Hebrews 10:19-25, ESV

[Update: Since some people have been worried that I was being serious in this post, let me assure you that the Me Standard Version is not something I actually advocate using =)  To get a more straightforward view on what I actually think, check out this post.]

What does God want from me?

Every fundraiser will be disappointed by "the results" from time to time.  That's normal.  But sometimes we feel disappointed by the results for really long periods of time.

Sometimes it's worse still: not only is nothing improving, but you're actually losing support.  Or your contact list has dried up.  Or someone is spreading gossip in one of your key networks.  (All of that has happened to me personally!)  It's tremendously frustrating!

What's going on??  What more can I do??  What does God want from me?

Helping to answer that question is a big part of why this blog exists.  But I was struck in particular today when considering one of the most frightening passages in the Scriptures, quoted at length below.  Take a moment to read over it carefully.  Note the extent to which God has gone to get His people's attention:

I gave you absolutely nothing to eat
in all your cities,
yet you did not return to Me.
Two or three cities staggered
to another city to drink water
but were not satisfied,
yet you did not return to Me.
I struck you with blight and mildew;
the locust devoured
your many gardens and vineyards,
your fig trees and olive trees,
yet you did not return to Me.
I sent plagues like those of Egypt;
I killed your young men with the sword,
along with your captured horses.
I caused the stench of your camp
to fill your nostrils,
yet you did not return to Me.
I overthrew some of you
as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
and you were like a burning stick
snatched from a fire,
yet you did not return to Me. 
(select portions of Amos 4:6-11 HCSB, emphasis mine)

God starved His people.  He destroyed them with plagues.  He killed their children.  He treated them like Egypt and like Sodom and Gomorrah.  Yet not one of these measures was sufficient to get them to return to Him.  They stubbornly refused to pay attention!  No matter how much God turned up the heat, Israel preferred its own, limited, lifeless way over returning to God and finding comfort, peace and joy.

While it's likely that God has not yet struck you personally with blight and mildew, could it be that God is frustrating your fundraising with the same intent: that you would return to Him?

When I first started fundraising, it took me months before I was willing to humbly acknowledge my need for Him.  And while I became sad, then angry, then rebellious during that time, I refused to return to Him.  And He responded in kind by depriving me in ever-increasing measure.

Thankfully, in His divine and perfect grace, He opened my eyes before all was lost.  I was a burning stick snatched from the fire.  A very stubborn, desperate, burning stick that had learned a very painful and very valuable lesson.

When I was an atheist, I'd read this passage from Amos and used it to declare God an egocentric jerk.  As a Christian - and especially one who has been snatched from the fire many times - I see this instead as tremendous mercy.  My heart is so prone to leave God, the source of life, and run full-steam-ahead into lifeless things which will destroy me.  Instead of allowing that, God Himself came to me, willingly took the punishment I deserved by dying on a wooden cross, and to this day patiently calls me to return to Himself time after time after time.

Those are not the actions of a jerk.  Those are the actions of a Savior.

A Savior who wants us to return to Him.

You do not have because you do not ask

"You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You do not have because you do not ask." (James 4:2, HCSB)

I distinctly remember the first time I read those words in the book of James.  I can recall it so vividly because it was the first time that I, since becoming a Christian, put down the Bible and declared, "Now THAT simply couldn't be true!"

(I still had much to learn about humility.)

Why did those words illicit such a strong response?  It was because I could not believe that any Christian would lack something simply because of not praying!  "Why in the world," I wondered, "would any Christian NOT ask God for something?  Isn't it a basic truth of the gospel that Christians are God's adopted children, and that they need only ask for an egg to receive one?  James must be mistaken!"

(I still had much to learn about human nature, too.)

Yet my baby-Christian brain was really onto something here!  Should it not be a wonder to us that we are ever lacking?  Should our lack not immediately draw us into fervent, desperate prayer?

Yet it often doesn't.  It doesn't for me, anyway.  I've begun countless nights of calls without even acknowledging the very God who called me to do fundraising in the first place.  I've sent out dozens of written appeals without the smallest request of the Father who gave me people to ask.  I've arrived at so many in-person appointments without pausing at all to ask for my Savior's intercession.  Why should I have been at all surprised when my lack of asking lead to lack of having?

In fact, there's only one thing that amazes me more than my lack of asking - and that's my lack of lacking.

If God were only just, He'd be perfectly righteous in denying me every unasked-for penny.  Rather, our God is infinitely gracious even in the midst of our unending pride!  What a wonder that He would give me any appointments or any donors when I've assumed so often that I'd earned them all myself!  In my blindness I'd go about thinking that I was being so competent and so diligent and so faithful while He patiently waited week after week for me to repent and see His grace behind my so-called works.  What kind of love is this???

While I no longer doubt the truthfulness of James's words, I wish I could say that after so many years I've finally mastered James's challenge to ask.  I haven't.  But I do ask much more often now.  And when I do, I ask out of a far more grateful heart than I'd had years ago.

(I'll always have much to learn about the gospel, too - praise God!)

Trusting in God's Plan

This is a guest post by fellow fundraiser Jenny Carrington. Interested in writing a guest post? Write to gospel.fundraiser@gmail.com.

When I began my support raising journey in June of 2012, I thought I had it all figured out. I knew whom I wanted to contact, when I wanted to contact them, when I would make the epic trek from Maryland to my home state, Massachusetts; yes, I had a plan! A perfect plan. Nothing could stop me!

About halfway through June, I began to call people living in Massachusetts for a trip I was planning to make during the first week of July. As I already had two whole weeks of support raising experience under my belt, I was certain my Massachusetts plan was impeccable: set up a few meetings with old family friends, and call the pastor of a church I had attended a few times so as to set up networking opportunities, meet with the missions committee, etc. It was a beautiful plan. I sat down at my computer, iPhone in hand, and decided to call the pastor first because I had gone to high school with his youngest daughter, and wanted to begin my night of calls with an "easy" call. I grinned from ear to ear as the phone rang, imagining how wonderfully the conversation was going to go. A click: "Hello?"

"Hi, Pastor, this is Jenny Carrington calling."

Beat. "Who?"

Oh no, he doesn't remember me? "Uh, I graduated with your daughter? We sang in chorus together?"

"Okay…"

As I began to anxiously weave together a string of words about why I was calling, what ministry I was working for, and if he was interested in meeting up in a few weeks, he gave the one response I was not expecting to hear: "No, no, thank you."

No…?! He said NO?! He briefly explained why he was disinterested in meeting, and asked me to email him the ministry's website in the morning, and we hung up.

I dramatically flung myself onto my bed, sobbing. No, no, no!! My plan, my perfect plan! God, why did you ruin my plan! Now I'm never going to finish support raising because you ruined my plan!

And in that moment, God spoke to me: Jenny, why aren't you trusting me? Why are you resting in your own capabilities, in your own plan, when I alone have the perfect plan for you?

Blinking back tears, I realized He was right. I had created a plan, but had forgotten verses such as, "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that'" (James 4:13-15).

I hadn't prayed about my plan, asking if it was the Lord's will, nor had I given the plan up to the Lord, understanding that it could change. Instead, I had boasted in my plan, even idolized my plan, and when the plan failed, and fell off its pedestal, I was broken to pieces.

The next day, I went to the local café for Internet access, stared at my computer screen for a good ten minutes, and finally, begrudgingly, sent the briefest of all emails to this pastor. I included the ministry's website and my own personal bio. After clicking the send button, believing the door to be closed, I thought, Okay, Lord, this trip to Massachusetts is in your hands. What's your plan? 

Three hours later, I received a call from my hometown's area code: "Hi, Jenny, this is Anne."  (The pastor's wife?!)  "We just read your email, and we would LOVE to meet with you!!"

What? WHAT?? We talked for a few minutes and chose a date for me to come over to their house to share about the ministry. When we hung up, I literally spun in a circle of excitement. I hadn't wanted to send that email. My plan for Massachusetts had been drastically altered, and I had simply wanted to close that door as quickly as possible. Instead, God used the email to fling that door right back open. Trust me, He says. I have a plan.

Not only did we meet, but they are now supporting at $50/month! In addition, I was able to meet so many wonderful people at their church, set up more meetings and meet with the missions committee. So, essentially, God did everything I had planned for. But in His timing and in His way.

Wow.

While the previous evening of dramatics was humbling and difficult to process through, I learned much about my pride, and much about trusting in God's plan. His plan in this instance was actually quite similar to mine, but He still wanted to teach me to trust Him. And I am so very grateful for that.

Boasting in tomorrow's trip

I'm leaving on a week-long fundraising trip tomorrow. With only a relatively small amount left to raise, I'm hopeful that this trip could finish this season of needing to do "extra" fundraising.

I'm a planner by nature, so I've been putting this trip together for a couple months now. Or at least I've been trying to. For the first month of trying, not a whole lot happened. I made calls, sent emails, utilized Facebook, etc., but after weeks of trying, I had only 1-2 appointments set up to show for it. At that point I started getting frustrated...

I've been working hard at planning this trip and all I have to show for it is two meetings?? I've done everything I could! I planned, prioritized, diligently contacted existing donors... what more could I have done??

And then I read James 4.

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit" - yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16 ESV)

Oh.

Apparently James was familiar with guys like me. Indeed, I was all but saying, "Next month I will go into such and such a town and spend a week there and raise funds and be finished!" Yet the Lord, speaking through James, will not let me be content with so small a thing. James instead recommends, "If the Lord wills, we will live and..." Living wasn't even in my original plan (only "trading and making a profit" was). So if I abandon my tiny goals, I can embrace a greater plan - God's plan - that involves life. The alternative is to embrace evil and boast in my arrogance.

Hard choice, huh?

If the Lord wills, tomorrow's week-long trip will accomplish all my goals. But even if it doesn't, it's only because God has something better in store for me.

What are you planning to do today or tomorrow?

Judgmentalism

I'm a judgmental person. I confess this to my great shame. I have brought it before the Lord on many occasions and, by His grace, I've seen growth - but it is a struggle I've had for as long as I can remember and I expect to have it for a long time to come.

This blog entry is therefore written primarily to myself, though it may also benefit others who struggle similarly.

I have judged just about everyone I know for one reason or another, including my wife and my dearest friends. It should thus come as no surprise that I judge my donors as well.

I have judged donors for not being faithful to give as they've said, for not getting back to me as they'd promised and for not calling their friends as they'd committed to. I have judged them for talking too much and for talking too little. I have judged their marriages and their other relationships. I have judged them for how their children have behaved and I have judged  them for how their pets have behaved. I have judged them for what their homes have looked like and how organized their kitchens have been. I have judged donors for their reactions to my presentations, my stories, my financial "ask" and (wretched man that I am!) I have even judged them for how much they have given.

It scares me that, upon reading that last paragraph, I can think of much more to add. If anyone ever asks me why I continue to cling to the cross of Christ daily, perhaps I can simply show them this blog entry.

Why am I writing all this out? Two reasons:

1. That I can be reminded of my desperate need of God's grace.
2. That I can be reminded of the basic truth below that I so easily forget.

The truth: I ought never judge someone until I've walked a mile in their shoes.

Here are practical examples I've seen over the years of that truth in action:

• One couple who didn't give monthly as they'd committed to had failed to pay their electric bill more times than they'd failed to support me.
• One couple who didn't call their friends as they'd committed to told me that the wife had just been diagnosed with cancer. They still called for me the following week.
• One couple whose marriage was falling apart had no solid, Bible-teaching church nearby. (I have a solid, Bible-teaching church five minutes away and I STILL fail to love my wife as I ought.)
• One older donor who talked too much has a husband (also her pastor) that doesn't listen to her. I did.
• One donor who talked too little grew up with parents who rarely said a kind thing to him, so he learned to keep his mouth shut. The fact he spoke at all to me was a huge step of faith for him.
• There are too many examples to list regarding kids. You simply can not know about someone's child-rearing situation - even if you had a dozen kids of your own. Every child and every situation is unique.
• A donor whose house is messy spends two nights a week serving at the local food pantry.
• A donor whose kitchen was unorganized regularly invites homeless people for meals.
• And what can I say about people giving...?

And [Jesus] sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on." (Mark 12:41-44 ESV)

The point is that I've wrongly judged people for all manner of reasons - having never walked a mile in their shoes. The fact is, though, that I could never walk a mile, let alone a step, in someone else's shoes. But Jesus did:

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV)

And right there is my hope: despite my wickedness - my ongoing wickedness - I can draw near to the throne of grace with confidence, and there I will find sweet mercy and rich grace.

If you've read this far, would you check in with me from time to time? I need others to ask me about the judgmentalism in my heart - and I also need others to remind me of the mercy and grace that awaits me when I repent (1 John 1:9)

If you're looking for help in this area too, stick around. My hope is that the lessons I learn will flow out into this blog as well.

Let's grow to love mercy together.

How NOT to be encouraged at a missions conference

Here are some sure-fire ways to NOT be encouraged at a missions conference:

1. Compare your materials, displays, website, family size, character or fundraising status with those of the other missionaries.
2. Wonder if there will be enough room for everyone to gather around your table at once.
3. Bring an extra ream of paper in case your newsletter sign-up lists get filled up.
4. Come ready to thank the pastor for his intimate knowledge of your kids names, hobbies and/or daily responsibilities.
5. Wait eagerly for people to dump money into your lap.
6. Live-tweet the event so your followers needn't be in suspense.
7. Spend the whole time behind a table rather than engaging people.
8. Expect to hear only fully contextualized and insightful Biblical encouragement as though they were spoken by Solomon himself.
9. Ask the missions chair whether you'll be the main speaker today or tomorrow.

Alternatively... here are a couple verses worth meditating on to help counter the list above:

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
a stranger, and not your own lips. (Proverbs 27:2)

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:3-4)

I just want to quit

I've wanted to quit fundraising a bunch of times. Here's a story about the first time.

When I first started fundraising I somehow got the idea in my head that I'd do well at it. I enjoyed meeting new people. I could tell a good story. I rarely worried about money.

That attitude lasted about two months.

Seemingly without warning, I suddenly found myself against a wall. Despite lots of appointments and church speaking opportunities, the support barely came in. People just weren't giving and my list of new contacts shrank down to nearly no one.

So I tried re-reading How to Win Friends and Influence People. I tried contacting everyone I knew about potential referrals. I even tried improving my presentation book and printing it on nicer paper.

I tried just about everything I could think of so as to not need Jesus.

Finally, as I drove home after a particularly discouraging appointment one night, I called out to God in desperation. Through tears I told Him that I couldn't do it anymore. "I just want to quit," I whispered into the dark.

It was at that moment the Holy Spirit convicted me with this question: "Quit what, exactly?"

I thought the answer would be, "I want to quit fundraising!" Instead, I realized that the answer was really, "I want to quit trying to do this myself."

A wave of Scripture washed over me - and with it, a wave of peace. The verse that gave me the most clarity came from James:

"God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6 ESV)

For months my pride resulted not only in forfeiture of God's rich, limitless grace but also in the sovereign God of the universe purposefully and personally opposing me. No wonder I wasn't making any headway!

To be clear, my fundraising didn't immediately turn around the next day - but my attitude did. And even more importantly, God's attitude toward me did. In His mercy and wisdom He had been withholding blessing, and then in His mercy and wisdom He gave it freely again.

Your story won't be the same as mine, but your Savior already is. So the next time you feel like quitting, turn to Him.

It may be you want to quit the wrong thing.

I got this

Several months ago I was talking with a friend who would soon be entering a period of fundraising. As we talked, I got the sense that he had a number of misconceptions about fundraising (including some of the ones I listed in an earlier post.) What concerned me most was that after I'd tried clearing up those misconceptions and explaining how difficult fundraising can be, he replied:

"Fundraising won't be a problem. I got this."

While I appreciate his zeal, I fear that he lacks knowledge (Pr 19:2). It's a dangerous ignorance, too, for the knowledge he lacks is a lack of knowledge of the gospel.

Consider the words of Jesus:

"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:31-32 ESV)

These words are wonderful and life-giving to those who recognize themselves as the sick in need of a doctor. Like a good doctor, Jesus offers not only the solution to their sin-induced sickness (His cross) but the means to avoid future sickness (repentance.) That's the gospel! Weak, sick and helpless people are made strong, healthy and helpful through the completely work of Christ.

However, these words also offer a great warning: those who are not sick do not need Jesus. Our theology alarm should go off at that point. Don't the Scriptures say that we're all desperately sick and in need of a Savior (Jer 17:9, Rom 3:10-18)? Yes, and so aren't we all sick and all in need of Jesus? Yes and yes!

Jesus isn't trying to say that there are some righteous people who needn't pay attention to Him; rather, He's saying that there are some people who think themselves righteous and therefore don't go to see the doctor as they should. (These words of Jesus are spoken to a group of Pharisees that have precisely this problem.)

So let's go back to my friend's lack of knowledge. While I wouldn't say that he thinks of Himself as truly righteous, I do believe that he doesn't see his need for a doctor. And if you go long enough without seeing the doctor, you fail to recognize just how sick you really are.

Fundraising is hard. It takes time. It breaks down our self-reliance. It causes us to admit our sickness and run to the great Doctor. In other words, fundraising will be a problem if you think, "I got this."

Thankfully, I don't need to worry about my friend. I tried to graciously share my concerns. I'm also praying for him. But most of all, my hope and expectation is that God will use his upcoming fundraising to graciously and patiently teach him to run to the Doctor. Often.

Let's also be careful not to judge my friend; I'm no stranger to his line of thinking and my guess is that you aren't either. But let's humbly choose to admit our weaknesses and run to Him.

If we don't, we can rest assured that our heavenly Father will lovingly teach us the same valuable lesson:

You don't got this.