Romans 8:28 offers the amazing promise of God bringing good out of all situations for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. I’ve watched God bring good on the other side of many difficult times. Today, I’ll talk about the other side of financial trials.
One month, out of nowhere, the bottom dropped out of our contributions. Week after week, I expected it to return to normal. When it didn’t, we started making aggressive changes. Anywhere we discovered fat, we cut it.
Once we eliminated everything we knew to cut (over about an eight-week period), the giving mysteriously went back to normal. Our only conclusion was that God wanted to get our attention so we’d make some valuable changes.
Thankfully, when a recession hit the economy the next year, we were already prepared for a leaner year. God had clearly taught us to how do more with less.
An economic downturn can force you to make decisions you wouldn’t otherwise make. It might motivate you to eliminate ineffective staff members or programs. You’ll think twice before you invest resources in new projects. You might add another service rather than building a new building.
I believe we are better honoring God because of the downturn than we would have without it. It truly is better on the other side.
What we've learned:
By using your church’s resources wisely and avoiding excess spending, you create good habits and practices that can withstand unforeseen changes. Take an honest look at your church budget to see if there are areas or ministries that would suffer if giving took a hit.
