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After church yesterday, our youngest asked us: “What is the malevolence offering for, anyway?”
Before you get any wrong ideas about our church, he was referring to the special benevolence offering that our church collects the fourth Sunday of each month. The money is used for people who need help with medical expenses. It was an innocent mistake, and quite funny, but it made me stop and think about my own attitude toward giving. Do my gifts and my attitude toward others reflect a benevolent heart, or a malevolent one?
I enjoy giving very much. Sometimes, though, the needs here are so great that you feel as though any thing you do is not even scratching the surface. It’s overwhelming. Often people have certain expectations of missionaries, and so they ask for help with an air of entitlement and treat us with resentment if we don’t meet those expectations. Sometimes we just get weary of being asked over and over for help.
I don’t want to give with worry in my heart or just to meet someone's expections. I don’t want to harbor ill will towards the people who might benefit from my giving. Neither do I want to forget that even if my gift seems as small and insignificant as a pebble in the ocean, God can use it to bless someone and show His love and power (think five loaves and two fish)! God has done so much for us! Giving to others in His name is a way to express my love and gratitude toward Him and to love my neighbors. When I truly love my neighbor, it is a joy to give!
Daniel’s question gave us a wonderful opportunity to explain the difference between those two words, and to talk about honoring God and showing love by giving to others.
Speaking of "malevolence offerings," SNEL is still spreading their ill will and mean-spiritedness about the city. Last week, I wrote about some of the antics the local electric company is up to (see my "Bad Guys" post here.) At that time, two of the four MAF families who rent actual homes and not apartments had already been targeted. Now a third family, the Linds, is being harassed. They've posted an update to the whole SNEL fiasco HERE. We are the only family that has not been visited but we don't expect to escape. It would really be nice though, if the timing of our move works so that we don't have to deal with this in both our present home and our future one! As Matthew and Lisa said though, the bottom line is that God is in control. Whether or not we have power, He is still all-powerful! Keep praying for salvation for the SNEL officials, and for all the families who are being affected by this.
Malevolence offering! That is hilarious!
ReplyDeleteI can imagine how difficult it is for you when people "expect" the missionary to give, or even ask. Turkey is a fairly affluent country, yet I sometimes encounter attitudes that make me uncomfortable, when I feel people are taking advantage of me. What helps is having some close Turkish friends who are very generous to me as well. I can imagine how it must be living in Africa. blessings to you.
Thanks, OliveTree! I was hurt and disappointed a lot when I first came here because I wanted to make friendships with Congolese people and it seemed like people were only interested in what they could get from me and not in me as a person. I am learning more about the culture here and that is helping. I would rather be taken advantage of than to say or do something that makes anyone look at me and think "if that's Christianity, I don't want it." Blessings right back at you!
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