Thanking the Lord for Fundraising

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus

Too many people have told me that raising resources is a "necessary evil" in the administration of the school.

I think these folks have their theology and history wrong. Raising resources to advance the Kingdom to win others to Jesus has always been part of the fabric of the Christian life.

We recognize that every good gift came from God, that these are merely on loan to us, that good stewardship was an obligation and (when done with a right spirit) a joy. The apostle Paul commended believers for their generous giving as they responded to God's mercy and forgiveness (see the Macedonians).

Nowadays we think, "If someone would die and leave the school with this giant estate, then all our troubles would go away." No, they wouldn't. Lack of funds is not the problem anyway; lack of funds is a symptom of another problem. We'll talk about that another day.

Plus, why should our "problems" go away? In Paul's letter to the church at Thessalonica (as in other letters), he addressed persecution of the faithful. He told us to persevere and continue to worship and, yes, to give thanks - in all circumstances.

No, I don't want fundraising to be easy or fast. Here is why:

1. It keeps me listening and looking for the Lord's leading in my work
2. It reminds me that raising funds is not technique-dependent; while it does require that I do everything with excellence as our Lord deserves.
3. It keeps me praying and causes me to praise as friends become generous givers
4. It makes me grateful for each gift as it comes in - I can celebrate the details of God's blessing
5. It allows me to look back and see how the Lord provided for our needs and gave exactly what we needed

So, on this Thanksgiving Day, let's thank the Lord for the good work He has called us to and to remember that we are only a small part of a larger whole.

Please pass the gravy....