Have you heard of crowdfunding or crowdsourcing? Companies like GoFundMe or KickStarter are raising hundreds of millions of dollars annually for personal needs and creative projects. A wide variety of needs are met with tools like these. Costs associated with mission trips, medical bills, or family emergencies have been met repeatedly through generous donations from people.
Our Christian duty is to care for the poor and needy. The Old and New Testament is full of instruction. For example, Jesus told us, “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.” — Luke 12:33
But Jesus also warns us of a potential danger with giving: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” — Matthew 6:1-4
Jesus strongly believed in taking care of legitimate needs. But, in this verse in Matthew, Jesus instructs us to be anonymous in our giving. That is also a unique dimension of crowdfunding websites like GoFundMe. Donors can list their name or be “anonymous”. Jesus would challenge us on two fronts when it comes to giving to the needy and poor. First, sell something valuable to meet the need. Second, don’t tell a soul.
Praying that Jesus helps us be more sacrificial and anonymous in our care for the needy,
Josh
Posted in A Word from the Pastor