The Importance of "Ministry Money"

When my husband and I were first married, our pastor told us a great story about how he and his wife always kept a "Ministry Money" jar.  They would put money in there when they could and allotted that money to be used for "ministry" purposes only.  What I loved most about his story was that he wasn't talking about just charities!!  He was talking about individual people.  He said they used the money once, for example, to repair a flat tire for a couple in their bible study who just didn't have the funds to pay for it (anonymously, of course).

Since that wonderful meeting with Pastor Joe, Chris and I have set aside a percentage of our income each month to our own "Ministry Fund".  Over the years, we have used this money for tons of great things - donating to non-profits in the wake of natural disasters (World Vision's Haiti fund, for example), we use funds from it on a regular basis to sponsor two children through World Vision, and we have had the immense pleasure to be the Lord's hands and feet on a case-by-case basis when others are in need!

Having the flexibility to dip into this fund whenever we hear of a friend in need (or a friend of a friend, etc), has been a blessing to us, personally, in addition to benefiting those to whom we give.  We have purchased toys for children of families struggling to make ends meat during the holidays.  We have sent gift cards to individuals out of work.  We have donated to funds when a loved one has passed away leaving a family in a financial crisis.  The list goes on and on.

When possible, we try to give the money anonymously, and never expect a "thank you" or gift of gratitude in response.  The money we set aside allows us to fulfill Jesus' request of taking care of the "least of these" (Matt 25:40).  Now before you go on thinking "Oh, they're so generous.  I wish we had the extra funds to toss around like that." - I want you to know that even in our most difficult days, when we were living off of money supplied by others, we still set aside our spare change and "coupon money" when possible.  The fund grew over time and though we were not able to dip into it for every need we knew of, it was there as a possibility.

So, let me encourage you to sit down and examine your finances.  See if there are funds that you could set aside - in a jar, a tin, or a separate bank account - so that you too can be a testament to others, when the opportunity arises, that the Lord values their "worth more than many sparrows" (Matt 10:29 - 31).