Broke People Can’t Help Anyone
©The Navigators. Do not use without permission.
A big obstacle to fully-funding gospel-workers in Africa is friends who say “yes” to give support but stop after one or two gifts. Or don’t start at all. Do you recognize the problem?
Why does this happen? For me, it began with a question I was asked long ago. Let’s flashback 21 years--
As I was starting my career, a friend asked me, “If you lost $6 today, would you hang yourself?”
What kind of a question was that? Actually, my friend wanted me to purchase some mutual funds he was marketing. I told him I couldn’t afford it—I was hardly making ends meet with my monthly income of $55! Buying an investment was out of the question.
But as he pressed, I realized that my major obstacle was not my low monthly income but my lack of discipline to budget and the absence of a plan to save. The answer was obvious – I certainly would not “hang myself” over the loss of $6. So he told me straight up, “Then you can save $6 monthly!”
He had me! I realized I needed to start long-term saving. Okay, $6 a month! But I was apprehensive.
Initially, it was a struggle. But soon I found the absence of $6 didn’t kill me nor reduce my standard of living—especially when I learnt the secret of budgeting.
One little discipline led to another, each with pleasant consequences. I challenged myself to find creative ways to free up a dollar here and there, like cutting out the small pleasure of soft drinks. Soon I was able to stretch my income from pay-check to pay-check without running out.
My friend was right – I didn’t die! But beyond that, regular savings made it easier to be more generous with extended family and supporting gospel workers.
I wish I could say it was smooth sailing thereafter. Sadly, some years down the road, I got distracted and slowed down on my monthly savings.
But God used Titus 3:13-14 to get me back on track:
“Do everything you canto help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos with their trip. See that they are given everything they need. Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others….”
It struck me that in order to help others I needed to be disciplined to “do everything I can.” If I consume everything I get each month, I cannot help anybody—my extended family nor gospel-workers.
Fast forward 21 years: As a gospel-worker who now lives on gift income, my wife and I still live on a strict budget with a savings plan.
Today, I feel badly that those who pledge to support gospel-workers often do not follow through and give what they said they would. But it does no good to bemoan our friends’ giving habits—let’s help them!
Ask them, “Will you die if you lost $6 a month!” Let’s help our giving partners succeed not only in giving, but in managing their money well. Let’s teach them to budget and save.
But we start with ourselves! “Will you die if you lost $6 a month?” How’s yourbudgeting and saving?
I didn’t realize it at the time, but my friend’s $6 question changed my life big time.
Editor’s Note: Find a blog on saving by Nelson Musipa (Navigators Zambia) here
Emeka Ohahuru
National MPD Coach, The Navigators Nigeria
You may contact Emeka at: emeka.ohahuru@navigators.org
