This may be one of the most relevant questions for Western Christians today. How would you answer it? Beyond the incomparable blessings of salvation through the shed blood of Christ, one of God’s greatest blessings is that of stewardship. What we do with our time, talent, and treasure is key to our eternal purpose.
All too often the identifying mark of the Western church today is its consumption of what God has entrusted to it. According to a study by George Barna, Christians in the Western church have over 90% of all Christian wealth in the world, and yet, the average church going Christian in the West, gives away about 3% of all that God has entrusted to him. Regardless of what we say, only one Christian in ten gives 10%.This is followed by the reality that less than 4% of total church income goes to missions and of that 4%, generally 50% goes to fund ministry focused only on the West.
As you pray and consider your blessings, I invite you to join me in contemplating these words that remind us that we are blessed in order to be a blessing!
God be gracious to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us-
That Thy way may be known on the earth,
Thy salvation among all nations…
God, our God, blesses us…
That all the ends of the earth may fear Him.
Psalm 67:1-2,7