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Why don’t we give more?
As much as 97% of worldwide giving is used to minister to Christians. And only a minute percent is utilized to attend to the billions of lost and poor in the world. To compound this injustice, the most effective ministries in the world are the ones addressing the lost and poor in the places of greatest need. Intuitively, the greatest impact per dollar occurs where the dollar is most urgently needed.
Notably, in Scripture, Jesus is highly concerned with how we treat our neighbors. And to be a good neighbor, it is pertinent that we attend to those in great need (as seen in the story of the good Samaritan). May we not be too busy doing “God’s work” that we neglect to see those who desperately need help, and need Christ.
Less than 1% of Christian giving is used to minister to the poorest lost people in the world.*
One of the most collaborative and exhaustive research projects ever reveals the Church’s use of God’s resources overall. Data was gathered from hundreds of Christian professors, researchers, ministry and denominational leaders, including some of the most respected Christians in the world (Paul Eshleman, Director “Jesus” Film Project; Patrick Johnstone, author of Operation World; and the late Ralph D. Winter, PhD, Founder of US Center of World Missions). Of all global Christian ministry resources given annually, this chart shows the location and identity of those who receive these resources.
Research from 2001*
Acts 1:8 records Jesus’ final command, His famous last words of instruction to us today: we are to be “witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.” Sadly, the numbers on the pie chart do not reflect the spirit of Jesus’ command. Instead, we see a mere .03% is making it to the ends of the earth (the lost and poorest of the poor, the “least of these”).
1 billion+ people depicted in World A? Jesus answered this same question in the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37: They are our Biblical neighbors; they are most often the overlooked, the very poor, and beaten mentally and physically and at times naked, robbed and left for dead. Yet they only receive 1/3 of 1% of all ministry dollars.
Next door, next county, next state, and ethnic group. However, Jesus’ most significant emphasis was on the “ends of the earth” since these were His most dramatic last words while He ascended from earth into heaven. Most notably, our very last words are the most important. Jesus had thousands of years to think about his last words. He gives us the final and most important instructions in the most dramatic stage left exit, as he tells us we will also get the help we need (the Holy Sprint) to do this in Acts 1:8.
“Preach the good news to the poor,” as Jesus did. The world says this is foolish and manipulative in our good deeds, but it’s the best thing we can do to help others with their physical needs. Psalm 37:25 says, “I was young, and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread,” and Jesus says in Matt 6:33 that if we seek him first, then all these other things (food and clothing Matt 6:25-32) will be added to this. Jesus has to be first and foremost in all the good things we do for others; as we teach people to love God, the OT and NT tell us their basic needs will be met
So if we followed God’s instruction and Jesus’ teaching by ministering to the “least of these,” what would we discover? We’d find much more than what the research shows at 300 times greater results overall: at the “ends of the earth.” We found 30,000 times greater results to those who currently receive the least resources though our Top 10 ministries. This proves what Jesus said: “Where the harvest is ripe, but the workers are few.”
The Giving Solution
Jesus not only told us WHO our neighbors are in the Good Samaritan; He showed us WHAT to do when He came to “preach the good news to the poor”; and He showed us WHERE to go in His most famous and dramatic last words of instruction …to the “ends of the earth.” By following God’s instruction and Jesus’ example, we discover 30,000 times greater results! Enter any dollar amount, no matter how little you think you can afford, to invest in God’s Kingdom and see the 30,000 times greater results as compared to where most Christian giving occurs today.
Solution = GOD+YOU+OTHERS
One of the greatest biblical principles is GOD+YOU+OTHERS, a relationship trio with lasting fulfillment. Certainly, there are times when the Holy Spirit leads us to give solely from our hearts out of obedience to His prompting; but did you know it’s no less holy to use your mind in this process? When the people asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was, He quoted Deuteronomy 6:5, saying we are to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves – but Jesus added “mind” to this verse.
… “we are to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, and our neighbors as ourselves.” Matthew 22:37 and Mark 12:30
How exciting for marketplace Christians to discover that we can use our minds not only to make a living, but in loving and serving God, and MANY others forever! How we wisely give is as important as what we give – God calls us to give with a cheerful, obedient heart after providing for our #1 God-given ministry, our family, and our local Church. We will walk you through this in the next few application steps. How exciting and rewarding to know that each day you are making a difference which ROI Ministry provides for you.
The potential impact of your donation is displayed on the table below. Use the checkboxes to select ministries you're interested in, and see the number of lives that can be affected by your generosity. Your donation amount is spread across all selected ministries. Leaving all checkboxes unchecked will show you the maximum impact your donation could have on any one ministry.
Click the ministry's "Invest Now" button to give directly to that ministry, or click "Invest in All" to give to ROI Ministry and your donation will be equally divided between all of the Top 10 ministries.
