Why I support Mission trips



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God had an only Son and He made Him a missionary- David Livingstone

Our nation has a background of colorful history; we were conquered by Spain for more than 300 years. We also submitted ourselves to Americans for 30 years. The Japanese made us their puppet for 3 years. I don’t know about you but I can sense that there’s massive discipleship between us and those countries going through that time. Indeed, they were the best missionary sending team of their days.  But without money, support and prayers from the people who believe their exploration they can’t reach the Pearl of the Orient (Philippines). 

Money can’t be trusted but it is the ultimate servant. Although a powerful resource its power is limited to this temporal world. It cannot get you into heaven or conquer death. Money is temporary. We cannot take it so we must use it for the glory of God while we have it. He gives us riches because of His goodness. What better way to take care of it is to share and use it for His glory. As a manager of God’s given wealth there are many ways to share it and but one of my favorite is supporting someone who plans to go on a mission to spread God’s goodness to the unreached people of the world. The question is why we should give and support?

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1. This is an elite investment - When you invest your money here on Earth there are a lot of risks involve due to economic cycle that we have. There’s no guarantee that your money will grow exponentially but if you invest to mission trips I can call it as an eternal investment. Remember that there’s no recession in heaven. It is not a sin to have things that money can’t buy as long as you don’t lose the things that it can’t buy (eternal life) The support you will extend  to spread God’s word is an investment to someone. This mission trip can do something for someone eternal salvation.

How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible, and not tell them about it?- Atheist Penn Jillette

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2. Opportunity cost is low – Your payment to your Insurance, HMO, brand new vehicles, credit card debt and mortgages is way higher compare to giving financial support all time. Living on Earth is an opportunity to serve through the wealth God faithfully giving you. Mission work is a way of serving others through the money you can share.  The opportunities that we have are like buses. There’s always the next bus that we can jump to ride. We just need to be ready when the bus is in front of us. Supporting someone constantly also shows how God can do things miraculously with our finances.  

Imagine that you are in heaven now in front of the most high,
God is auditing what did you do with your money while you were in Earth?
I hope your answer will be interesting. #WinLongTerm

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3. Sharing develop the muscles of obedience - We need to rediscover what the church in Corinth did, the joy of participating in the international mission of the church. To understand 2 Corinthians 8:1-7, we should realize that the church in Macedonia had taken their love offering for their brethren in Jerusalem. As a member of the church of today you can be part of that missions like the Macedonian of old as you give support on someone’s mission trip today. When you experience God’s love in your life you can’t help not to share it. When you watched an awesome movie you try to spread the word to others thru word of mouth or you post it to your FB page because you think it is totally worth it.   When you share your money for the purpose of missions’ trip you get to experience the same effect whenever you exercise, your body excretes (happy hormones) spiritual endorphins.

“If giving is a sickness let us make it an all time pandemic”- David Isaiah Angway

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4. It makes me happier - Giving our support for a mission trip is a gift. God make our participation possible through His grace. Since grace is a gift, we have a generosity that is from God, we must rediscover the wonderful gift of supporting one’s mission trip. According to the Journal of consumer psychology volume 21 issue 2. April 2011 Dunn, Aknin, Norton, when you spend money to help others achieve their dream you are happier compare to spending it for yourself. 

Participants felt significantly happier when they reflected on a time they had spent money on others, and this effect emerged consistently across these vastly different cultural contexts—even though the specific ways in which participants spent their money varied dramatically between cultures.4 The emotional rewards of prosocial spending are also detectable at the neural level. Participants in an MRI were given the opportunity to donate money to a local food bank. Choosing to give money away—or even being forced to do so—led to activation in brain areas typically associated with receiving rewards (Harbaugh, Mayr, & Burghart, 2007).

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5. It is a privilege - God’s work and message being spread internationally will be a privilege to expand the gospel as you participate through mission support. After I supported friends from different churches who went to Nepal, Macau, Cambodia, Vietnam, Campus missionary work in Alabang and the Fort I can sense that I am also with them while they are fulfilling the great commission. Once they came back from the mission field I can sense a great joy and pride for what we have accomplished thru partnering with them. Nothing beats the moment seeing them grow and serve successfully. 

The great commission is not a suggestion or an option. It is faith, love commitment

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When you support mission trips there’s nothing to lose. Through mission support our sincerity in giving will be tested. Our character as a Christian is tested also by selflessness. Ask not what your country can do for you. But ask what you can do for your country” John F. Kennedy quoted. As a Christian the question we are asking is not what the body of Christ can do for us. But what can we do for the body. It is a sacrificial generous giving for a brethren’s mission trip.

As a faithful steward of God’s wealth, we can transform this wealth into Ministry that brings everlasting glory to Him; it is an opportunity to serve Him this way.

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 Jen is a guest blogger and a follower of Christ. 

David Isaiah Angway is a Financial Evangelist