Giving When You Don't Have the Finances

Money and giving. No one likes to talk about either. We feel guilty when we don't or can't give to a worthy cause. It's hard to admit our finances aren't flowing as freely as we like.

But both are still important.

Several years ago I read a book about a man who was given the task of overseeing an $11,000,000,000 fund for philanthropy. That's a dream job! Who wouldn't love to give away billions of dollars to different organizations? How would you spend that kind of money? Would you give clean water to the masses? Maybe open a free hospital? Build schools?

We would all love to be able to give away serious money. I've given so many $25 donations where I would have loved to fund the whole project. Have you had moments like that? Wishing you could cover a mission trip for someone or write a check to take care of that local radio fundraiser? No matter how large your budget is for giving most of us still have a budget. There's only so much we can give and still pay our bills. And for most of us it's not as much as we'd like.

Giving is important. Why? Not because congregations "just want your money" but because giving is vital for the Kingdom of Heaven to spread. Supporting ministries and organizations that are doing things we believe in is essential to share the truth of Scripture. Still, finances are limited formost of us so I wanted to share some more creative ways to give.

1. Give what you can. Can you come up with $5 a week or $10 a month to give away? If so, do it! For me, it's fun to research and learn up about different organizations to support. Learn about a certain issue every month or so with your family and then together choose where your money will go.

2. Pray. We may not be able to meet every need we encounter but we do know the one who can! When you hear of a need take a few seconds to ask for YHWH's provision. Put a few organizations on your prayer list and make it a habit to ask YHWH to meet their needs, to bless the work that they're doing, and to give the staff wisdom.

3. Volunteer. Most non-profits live or die on their volunteers. There are so many ways to get involved, even if you only have a few hours here or there to spare. Check with your congregation or a nearby nonprofit to see how you can help. Often they could use a hand with everything from office tasks to promotions to manual labor to specific skills like photography or web design to event setup and clean up. Volunteering is also a great way to learn about an issue and to meet new people.

4. Like and share updates. Interacting with your favorite organizations on social media means free advertising for them. Hit the like button the next time you see an update on Facebook and that means more of your friends will see it to. Retweet a blurb from an organization to share with your Twitter followers. Tag your favorite for-good company or non profit in your Instagrams when applicable.

5. Make a purchase from a for-good company. The next time you need to buy something do some research to see if you can find what you need from a business that is working to change the world. If you need a gift for a friend look for a scarf that sends children to school; if your workplace needs more coffee, suggest buying fair trade; if you need a new shirt considering buying one from your favorite ministry or NPO.

6. Donate items you don't need. Coats and clothing can be given to a homeless shelter, furniture and household items can go to an organization that helps with immigrants resettling in your area (check with a college to find one), food pantries will accept non perishable foods as well as kitchen items, in most cases. Many thrift shops have a philanthropic mission, look for one in your area--and do what shopping you can there.

7. Sign your grocery store card up for community rewards. This is where a percentage of what you spend on groceries is donated to the charity of your choice! Kroger does this and so does a local store in my area. Head to their website to link your card with your favorite charity.

8. Write a letter to a person imprisoned for their faith. Voice of the Martyrs has a program where they help you write letters to prisoners to encourage them in their faith. It takes about five minutes to complete online and print. You'll need to mail it which typically costs $1 or $2.

9. Host a party with a purpose. Give meaning to your next get together by sharing about your favorite non-profit, encouraging people to sign up for their newsletter, and by asking everyone to donate a few dollars. Or ask friends over to cut shoes for Sole Hope or to stuff action packs for Voice of the Martyrs.

10. Lobby your congressmen and women. Most of us would donate money to an organization that fights human trafficking but sadly many of us wouldn't take five minutes to contact our senators and representatives to ask them to support anti-trafficking legislation. It is simple to ask your congressmen to support the same issues that you do. They can be contacted via their website or by calling their office to leave a message.

11. Use GoodSearch or AmazonSmile. GoodSearch is a search engine that donates one penny for every search you make! While a penny is not a lot, it does add up. In less than two years my searches have generated over $150 for organizations of my choice. Also did you know about AmazonSmile? It's just like the Kroger community rewards, where they will donate a percentage of what you spend to a charity you select. You can also use GoodShop which is compatible with other stores besides Amazon.

12. Participate. This could be as simple as sending an email saying, "Thanks for what you do, I believe in you," or sharing about a fundraiser online. Go to events and awareness nights hosted by non profits (they are often free), search out ways to get involved and do what you can.

Do you have a favorite creative way to give? Please let me know below!

What Is Written: Modesty

"Likewise, the women, when they pray, should be dressed modestly and sensibly in respectable attire, not with elaborate hairstyles and gold jewelry, or pearls, or expensive clothes." -1 Timothy 2:9

What kind of modesty does this verse refer to?

The common understanding is that Paul meant women should cover their bodies. A bikini is obviously not an appropriate choice for a congregational setting. That makes sense. I'm not aruging that women shouldn't be appropriately dressed. But if that's his point why doesn't the verse go more like this:

"Women should dress modestly and sensibly in respectable clothes, not with low-cut tops, short skirts, or spandex outfits."

Am I alone in thinking that would be a better fit for the first part of the verse?

"Not with elaborate hairstyles and gold jewelry, or pearls, or expensive clothes."

What if Paul meant financial modesty?

Expensive means the clothes cost a lot of money. As do gold jewelry, and real pearls. An elaborate hairstyle implies you are wealthy enough to pay someone to do your hair--whether a hired stylist or a servant--or at least that you are wealthy enough to have plenty of free time to do it yourself.

Think of a time you felt conspicuously under dressed. What was that like? Stressful? Humiliating? My husband and I were once riding an elevator in a fancy Chicago hotel to a restaurant a few floors up. Aware of the ambiance of the hotel we had dressed up--at least we thought so. The elevator made a stop before our destination and we were joined by several couples who were in ball gowns and tuxedos. I had never felt so out of place or embarrassed.

Once we discovered the other couples were headed to a formal ball a few stories up, we were able to laugh it off (really, it was a very audible sigh of relief). But I remember the stress that gripped me of being awkwardly out of place, like I didn't belong.

And I was just going to dinner. Imagine if that happened to someone seeking the presence of YHWH.

Is Paul instructing us not to dress like we have lots of money? You know how it is, ladies. Fashion is a contest, or at least a clique. We notice how other people dress and worry what they'll think of our outfit. We see what popular women are wearing and make a mental note to track down a floral dress or a striped top so that we can emulate them. How many times have you stood at your closet in the morning and thought, I wore that Tuesday so I can't wear it again today? For the majority of women our wardrobes are determined by what we imagine others will think, as much as they are by our own opinions. We see trendy clothes on others and wonder how they have time to shop so much. We go shopping with friends and are pressured into making a purchase we don't love or that costs too much. We try and style an outfit differently so that no one notices it's the same top we wore last week.

"But my clothes aren't expensive." You may have gotten great deals on your outfits, but do you need 35 of them? In a world of fast fashion that is dirt cheap, variety is the new expense. This is where dressing sensibly comes in. Is fast fashion and its offenses to rights of workers and the environment a sensible thing to be involved in? Some stores release new items every week with the intention of making you feel out of style and in need of a wardrobe update. Those who follow along and keep up with all the trends can inadvertently send this message to those that don't: You're out of style. You are not enough. You don't belong.

What if Paul was trying to promote an environment that was free from this kind of distraction? I am all for looking nice. But what if when we prepare for congregation we choose to focus on our hearts being in the right place, rather than our hair? What if we work to empower women in our congregations and churches to worship YHWH free from those plaguing thoughts of comparison? Just as we make sure to dress modestly to not distract men as they worship and learn the word of YHWH, we can dress financially modest to not distract women as they do the same.

What are your thoughts on this? Have you seen fashion becoming a contest at your congregation or workplace? How do you think this could affect our houses of prayer?