Stewardship, Generosity and Efficiently Delivering Hope. 1 Timothy 6:17-19
“17) Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18) Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19) storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.” 1 Timothy‬ ‭6:17-19‬
After warning Timothy about the danger of loving and living for money in 1 Timothy 6:6-12, Paul acknowledged that there are people whom God has blessed with wealth because of a good work ethic and godly values. They should look at themselves as stewards of the resources God has entrusted to them.
More people pass the test of adversity than prosperity, but there are people God has blessed with wealth and great prosperity. Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and David all became very wealthy. Solomon is an example of the corrupting power of wealth, but in the end he came to the realization that knowing God was the only thing that brought lasting meaning and value to life.
Godly people who have been blessed with wealth often have very unique life stories. Many are examples of men and women who defeated all odds because of their faith in God, virtue, hard work and great diligence. I have met many of these blessed people who are entrepreneurs, business owners, investors, writers, professional athletes or buisness executives who have great integrity and a deep love for God.
Do not make the mistake of assuming that all wealth comes from fraud or corruption. To the contrary, it is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it. The book of Proverbs warns against wealth obtained by fraud. It is like a cancer.
However, there are many wealthy and godly saints who have great faith in God and are living examples of the ways of God in this present world. These people often exercise good will toward others, help many find employment, have great integrity, help fight poverty and support missions with extraordinary generosity. They are the ones Paul was addressing in 1 Timothy 6:17-19.
When these amazing men and women discover their God given call and destiny in this life, they become Mountain Movers for the glory of God. But they do not recklessly throw money at just any cause. They look for trusted and proven ministry vehicles through which to give. They want to make sure the supply actually reaches the need and is not chewed up by bloated bureaucracy.
Sadly, many organizations become an end in themselves. They exploit disasters, poverty and human suffering for photo opts to play on the emotions of benevolent people.
So how do you know where to best direct your giving?
As a general rule, no more than 25% of giving should be consumed by administration and overhead by non-profit organizations. Many are frugal and thrive on less. When this number is pushed significantly beyond that point, fraud and corruption are usually in the drivers seat. Always study the financials of non-profits you support. You might be shocked.
This also goes without saying, but make sure you are giving to non-profits with biblical values and Great Commission goals. If the non-profit is not spreading the gospel and kingdom values it is a waste of both time and resources. Unfortunately, generous people often give to worldly organizations. In this text, Paul wanted people to ensure that generous giving payed eternal dividends.
We at GoServ Global have many ventures like orphan sponsorships, domestic disaster relief, housing and community development or the building of churches, schools and medical centers where 100% of every dollar goes directly to the need. Efficiently delivering hope and help to the need is one of our core values.
But the full story is that we have many faithful partners who also support administration and overhead through undesignated giving. This is vital. We could not exist without these gifts.
In this text, Paul was instructing Timothy to both raise up generous givers and help protect the giving of generous people. Good stewardship applies to both sides of the equation. It applies to both the giver and the vehicle that delivers the gift to the need.
If you have been blessed to the point of being a generous giver, I invite you to partner with GoServ Global. We exist to share the gospel in the midst of tragedy. We deliver hope. We work hard to efficiently and effectively connect resources directly to the needs.
GoServ Global is a ministry made up of like minded people and churches who aspire to be World Changers for the glory of God. We invite you to join this amazing endeavor that is so needed today. Check us out on our webpage or message me directly for more information.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global