I recently spoke with a missionary friend. His family has labored for the Lord faithfully for years, serving his wife and children and all the responsibilities of any husband and father. Beyond those responsibilities, he has given his life to the proclamation of the Gospel and service to the Lord in many churches. The hours included in this man's work would outdo even the most fervent workaholic, but his labor is for the Lord and he wouldn't have it any other way.
One would never know from the outside appearance, but this man has missed eating more than one meal so that his family can eat instead. He has sacrificed many a night's sleep and rather spent it in prayerful petition to His Heavenly Father for today's bread, though it is actually well past midnight and tomorrow's bread is a current need. The prayer is one of desperation, knowing that there are scores of Christians who have the means to help support this faithful missionary's work and yet he will probably continue to scrape by and hope that nobody notices his family didn't bring any food to the last few fellowship dinners because they had nothing to share.
The worst part of this story is that hundreds of families and churches among whom this family has labored have promised monthly financial support to go along with their prayers. The rate of fulfilled promises of regular financial support is stagnant at 0%. That is not a misprint, as this man has NEVER received regular support from a single church or family that promised it in the amount or regularity they promised. Some have given at times, but only one person has given more than two or three months in a row, and then often trail off after a while. I believe people really think they will be faithful, but at least in this case, not one person has done what they promised over the long haul. I know of a few missionaries who have left the field to return to secular work due to this issue, and that makes me sad. We need more missionaries, not less.
In other cases, there are a few faithful ones who think of their missionary friends often and pray for them, even sending financial help, but the vast majority seem to forget too easily. I believe that the average Christian in the United States has never had to make the choices my friend's family makes every day and yet most would feel qualified to judge how and when it is acceptable to make his needs known. The often quoted "The Lord's workers never make their needs known to men, but only to God" lacks solid Biblical support.
I wonder why every other Christian attending a prayer meeting can ask for prayer about finances, the sale of a house, a new job or promotion, but this man would be chastised for "begging" so that his family can eat and have new underwear once every couple of years. People think I am being dramatic, but truthfully I am sugar coating this to some extent. Some have had their commendation revoked (still looking for a Biblical case of this) for daring to get a part time job to help meet needs, as if they no longer serve the Lord if they take a paper route. I am sure that some leave the Lord's service due to being led elsewhere, but more often than not the ministry goes undone because of lack of finances. Most men can go longer in need than his family could due to sheer strength and self sacrifice, but it gets hard after a while to explain to the kids why everyone else has more than they need while they eat discarded food that may not even be safe, let alone healthful.
I have to ask what it would really cost people to live up to their promise to that missionary who left your church 5 years ago, and has spent every day of the interim laboring without fail for the Lord? Did you promise to give $10 a month, or was it $25? When was the last time you sent that check? Would your phone, internet, or electric service keep working if you forgot about your promise to pay? People set reminders for themselves via email and bills that come in the mail for such things, and yet pledging to send a gift to the Lord's servant regularly is frowned upon as presumptuous in some circles. I think we have our priorities mixed up.
Let's just presume that people cannot afford, by their estimation, to send a gift. Times are hard, but does that mean the missionary doesn't need to eat today? What could you give up in order to support a missionary, maybe your Netflix account? Is God really in control of your life, or have you lulled yourself to sleep by the flicker of the new TV you got for Christmas while your missionary friend went without again?
I don't presume to know how much or to whom the Lord will lead you to give, but I know He has called us all (even missionaries) to give. Pray about it, ask the Lord what you should do, and then do it. James 1 carries a sobering reminder to "... be doers of the Word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. " Will you delude yourself, or will you obey the Lord in whatever He leads you to do"
