Take No Staff for Your Journey

For many years my wife and I were faith missionaries. Our salary was based upon the contributions of supporting churches and individuals. Because of the faithfulness of our support team, we were able to be "full-time" as church planters.

Being a faith missionary keeps you humble. Each month you trust God, and the generosity of His people, to meet your housing, food, health, and transportation expenses. We saw plenty of lean times, but God always showed up to provide.

One of our hardest months was right after the terrorist attacks in 2001. For whatever reason, our support account took a big hit in the weeks that followed 9-11. Apparently people were so shaken by the threat to our nation that many did not give the way they usually did.

We barely made our condo payment, and we weren’t sure how we would buy food for the month.

We didn’t communicate any of this to our supporters. But God told them anyway. One friend called us out of the blue and announced she was coming by to drop off some groceries. She had been at the store and felt the Lord telling her to buy double of everything. Other friends, also church planters, sent us an encouragement note with a check. It just seemed like we might need it, the Lord said to them.

That month was one of many where we saw quiet miracles from a faithful Lord.

It goes back to something Jesus told His first disciples: Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money, and do not have two tunics (Luke 9:3). That’s how He sent out the twelve, to train them not only to preach and heal, but also to trust.

I admire how Jesus takes care of His own.