Financial Fears and Our Faithful God
Money. Most of us have a complicated relationship with it. We would likely be happy with more of it, but realize it can cause issues if we hold it too closely. If you’re preparing to go on the mission field, it’s highly probable that money is often on your mind and is a cause for stress or concern.
If you’re in the midst of building a support team, you may feel awkward trying to convince people that supporting you financially is a tangible way they can participate in bringing the gospel to the least-reached. If you have a college degree, you may be working to pay off debt and worried it will delay your arrival on the field. There is plenty to talk about in the realm of finances and missions, and a lot of it can be uncomfortable to talk about.
Let’s talk about it anyway.
First, as Christians we acknowledge that God is our provider. We can point to numerous places in Scripture where He promises to meet our needs. For example, Matthew 6:25-26 tells us,
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26 ESV)
God’s care for His children is undeniable, yet in a moment of need, it can be hard to see through the uncertainty. We know in our heads that God will provide, but waiting for His provision can be excruciating. And, if you are working hard to raise the support you need to get onto the field, it can be difficult to understand why you are stuck here when you want so badly to be there.
Even if we can mentally grasp the benefits of waiting and learning to trust, it is a challenge to move at the pace of God when we don’t fully understand the mind and will of God. But we can miss out on how He wants to work in and through us if we are too eager to act on our own and don’t wait for His timing.
And then there’s the issue of our shifting standards for contentment. I was driving a 19-year-old car around when I bought a brand new one in 2015. It was fancy, which made me feel fancy. It was also a shock to drive something with technology from this century.
I talked to my older brother that week and he said, “Don’t forget that new car smell because it will smell like any other car soon enough.” Five years later, I don’t remember that aroma. I’m embarrassed to admit that my vehicle feels a little dated to me. I used to pride myself in driving an old car as a badge of simplicity, and now I long for the luxury air-conditioned seats and heated steering wheels of the newest models. It’s easy to shift my perspective of what I need. I do not need a new car. My car is completely fine. But it is so easy to long for that new car smell again.
My contentedness is so deeply linked to my perception of God’s provision, which may or may not be in alignment with my reliance on Him and my belief that He knows what is best for me. It’s only when we see our wants and needs through the lens of His promises that we can be satisfied and at peace with what He sees fit to give us.
Fear about finances—and countless other things—has the potential to paralyze us and shove us into deep discouragement. Yet, though lack of money could cripple us, the truth found in God’s Word keeps us from anxiety and gently reminds us to trust in Him and His amazing grace.
Calling to mind God’s promises is our defense against fear. Remind yourself that the Lord is good and that He provides through the generosity of His people. Maintain an attitude of contentment and gratitude as you wait for Him. And, when you receive what you need, recognize the kindness He demonstrates.
Perhaps nothing in our faith walk brings us to a deeper level of faith in God quite like relying on Him to provide for our needs. Remember the truth of Matthew 6, “Are you not of more value … ?” God sees us as worthy of His investment. Waiting for His provision may feel like being stuck, but it is a mighty reminder that we are of great worth in His sight.
If you’re in the midst of building a support team, you may feel awkward trying to convince people that supporting you financially is a tangible way they can participate in bringing the gospel to the least-reached. If you have a college degree, you may be working to pay off debt and worried it will delay your arrival on the field. There is plenty to talk about in the realm of finances and missions, and a lot of it can be uncomfortable to talk about.
Let’s talk about it anyway.
First, as Christians we acknowledge that God is our provider. We can point to numerous places in Scripture where He promises to meet our needs. For example, Matthew 6:25-26 tells us,
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26 ESV)
God’s care for His children is undeniable, yet in a moment of need, it can be hard to see through the uncertainty. We know in our heads that God will provide, but waiting for His provision can be excruciating. And, if you are working hard to raise the support you need to get onto the field, it can be difficult to understand why you are stuck here when you want so badly to be there.
Even if we can mentally grasp the benefits of waiting and learning to trust, it is a challenge to move at the pace of God when we don’t fully understand the mind and will of God. But we can miss out on how He wants to work in and through us if we are too eager to act on our own and don’t wait for His timing.
And then there’s the issue of our shifting standards for contentment. I was driving a 19-year-old car around when I bought a brand new one in 2015. It was fancy, which made me feel fancy. It was also a shock to drive something with technology from this century.
I talked to my older brother that week and he said, “Don’t forget that new car smell because it will smell like any other car soon enough.” Five years later, I don’t remember that aroma. I’m embarrassed to admit that my vehicle feels a little dated to me. I used to pride myself in driving an old car as a badge of simplicity, and now I long for the luxury air-conditioned seats and heated steering wheels of the newest models. It’s easy to shift my perspective of what I need. I do not need a new car. My car is completely fine. But it is so easy to long for that new car smell again.
My contentedness is so deeply linked to my perception of God’s provision, which may or may not be in alignment with my reliance on Him and my belief that He knows what is best for me. It’s only when we see our wants and needs through the lens of His promises that we can be satisfied and at peace with what He sees fit to give us.
Fear about finances—and countless other things—has the potential to paralyze us and shove us into deep discouragement. Yet, though lack of money could cripple us, the truth found in God’s Word keeps us from anxiety and gently reminds us to trust in Him and His amazing grace.
Calling to mind God’s promises is our defense against fear. Remind yourself that the Lord is good and that He provides through the generosity of His people. Maintain an attitude of contentment and gratitude as you wait for Him. And, when you receive what you need, recognize the kindness He demonstrates.
Perhaps nothing in our faith walk brings us to a deeper level of faith in God quite like relying on Him to provide for our needs. Remember the truth of Matthew 6, “Are you not of more value … ?” God sees us as worthy of His investment. Waiting for His provision may feel like being stuck, but it is a mighty reminder that we are of great worth in His sight.
The issue of finances and raising support can keep some would-be workers off the field. The thought of asking others for money may be too daunting, and college debt can add to the stress. So many of us worked hard for degrees and now feel weighed down by the burden.
Christar’s website has some helpful resources addressing money and missions, and you may find this one encouraging. In addition, organizations such as The Go Fund focus on alleviating the stress of debt that inhibits many potential workers from pursuing ministry among the least-reached. And Christar’s Clearing the Path Scholarship Fund seeks to help workers reach the field by providing subsidized internships and focused scholarships.
Laura lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where she freelances in various capacities, leads worship at her church and hangs with her adorably photogenic dog named Kimchi. She’s well acquainted with the chaos of trying to determine what to do in life.
Laura went to Bible college, where she explored cross-cultural ministry through classes, conferences and lots of practical application. After college she went to grad school, taught, went to South Korea for a year, worked for Christar, then spent a good chunk of the last decade working with international students in high school and college in the U.S.
She would love to journey with you as you consider missions—because she’s been there. Because reaching the nations is going to look different than it did in centuries past. And she wants you to be a part of it.
Related Projects
Help more workers reach the field so they can share the hope of the gospel.
Help workers in the Middle East run a language school and build relationships through which they can share the gospel.
Help us walk alongside our workers so that they can minister effectively in least-reached communities.
Help a South Asian church finish constructing a building and increase its ability to reach out.
Equip spiritual leaders for planting and strengthening churches in the Arab World.
Help meet the physical, psychological and spiritual needs of refugees and other marginalized people in the Middle East.
Help recruit and prepare workers from throughout the world outside of North America to serve in Muslim communities.
Equip Filipino believers to plant churches among some of the hardest-to-reach people groups in the world.
Provide refuge and counsel to Middle Eastern women and their children who are victims of abuse, and introduce them to Jesus.
Meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of refugees and those impacted by disaster.
Introduce people to Jesus Christ in places where there is little or no Christian witness.
Help mobilize new workers and equip them to share the message of Christ.
Equip Christar workers to provide short-term assistance in the wake of natural disasters or other crises, laying the foundation for future ministry.
Your gifts empower Christar Workers to share transforming hope
with communities around the world.
Enable a Persian to hear the gospel or help train Persian believers for ministry.
Equips South Asian believers to plant reproducing fellowships in small villages and support the ministries of their churches.
Help workers and local believers continue to serve and thrive in hard places.
In a community with no known believers, a new multipurpose building will provide opportunities to grow connections, meet needs and share Christ.
Help Middle Eastern followers of Christ learn how to apply and share biblical truth.
SESaMe disperses bite-sized pieces of the Word of God to least-reached people in a country with little access to this good news.
Help cultivate Christ-honoring transformation through medical care in Albania.
Equipping pathways help prepare aspiring cross-cultural workers for life and ministry in least-reached communities.
Ministry in least-reached communities is hard. Our Member Care team invests heart and skill to help workers serve to the best of their ability.
Related Stories
Danyal* delved deep into Islam, seeking meaning in life. He never expected who would change his life instead.
Any one of the challenges Paul and Shelley faced could have been enough to end their ministry in South Asia. But God provided a catalyst of hope.
Amid the devastation caused by the February 2023 earthquakes, Selin and Adem testify, "What we could not do in 22 years, God did within four months!"
You may have heard that when it comes to missions, “You’re either a goer or a sender.” But what if that’s not true?
As a group of 20-plus volunteers among refugees has seen, God can use every believer's story as a pathway of grace.
God uses us to carry others to Him so they can experience His goodness. And when we do, what would otherwise be a burden becomes a blessing.
Mental health challenges don’t mean exclusion from the Great Commission! Leora shares how God has used her as she’s dealt with a mental illness.
Where Solomon* lives, converting to Christianity is a capital offense. He's been held captive, interrogated and beaten. But he's remained faithful.
Sometimes God’s answer looks like a long wait for a chicken. And sometimes that answer is months or years in the making.
Sharing the gospel isn't about our ability, but about keeping in step with God as He moves—like He did in the heart of a Kurdish woman named Gulnaz.
NorthRidge Church, Christar and the Richardsons beautifully illustrate the three-way partnership between the agency, the church and field workers.
Praise God with us for the blessings and answers to prayers that He has brought about through the Deaf Initiative!
After just a year, Christar workers saw a church form in a North African community that hadn't had one in a millennium. How did it happen?
Peggy* didn't go to the field to teach English. However, God would use this unlikely investment in a least-reached community!
Strategic and generous gifts from believers on the other side of the world have provided a staging ground for more coordinated ministry.
Though Hasan and other national believers grapple with massive loss, their hope in Christ propels them to minister to others impacted by earthquakes.
Amid unthinkable devastation in the aftermath of recent earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, local believers like Selin* are beacons of compassion.
On our own, we couldn’t mobilize Deaf believers to share the gospel with least-reached Deaf. But God is making it possible through His people.
Long before Afghan refugees Sayed and Zari heard the gospel from Christar workers in the U.S., God used the kindness of believers to prepare them.
Christar is praying for Deaf believers, who can readily connect with least-reached Deaf, to go on a second short-term trip to the Middle East.