Toward a Philosophy of Dispersing This World’s Goods

                                                           From Belize, May 2, 2005

When we approached the peak of our income and equity between the ages of 60 and 65, I felt it was time to develop a sound basis for dispersing much of what God has given to us, especially what was in the form of real estate equity. We could leave it to posterity to disperse, or to disperse it in blocks, such as one house at a time to a charitable cause, or as we finally chose, to use some of our equity in our own ministry. This was to help children in education and with their basic life needs which may also involved their mothers. It also involves widows and persons without skills and jobs or having other handicaps; the poorest of the land. Basic is the concept that God still owns everything he has entrusted to us and we are to make the best use of it. This is called Christian stewardship. What criteria are we using to decide what and who to give help?

We help those near us, who knock on our doors and come to us. We do not seek out needy people since that is not necessary in our case in Belize as it might be in the US.

We try to ascertain who may or may not have other resources from friends and family and relatives who should be helping them. We ask whether it helps them or makes them dependent and less likely to try helping themselves.

We are open to the advice of our Christian brothers and sister, and seek to know if needs presented to us are real or fake. We seek to help on a minimum level with basic needs and avoid “needs” of people increasing like an addiction to our money, where they want more and more.

We have special concerns for children who may suffer hunger, medical needs, education inadequacies because of their parents neglect or inability to provide for them. Parents may need to feel deprivation to be motivated to do their greatest to support themselves, but children should not be allowed to suffer because of their parents. Much spiritual discernment is needed here.

For us it is not how much we can afford according to our income, but how we help real needs in the best way. We want to help generously without giving carelessly to those who may become dependent like young women who should try to help themselves in particular.

We can calculate the rate at which we could liquidate our equity over the next 30 years, but we have only recently reached the peak of logical dispersion, given that we won’t be in this ministry for 30 years. Perhaps only 5-10 years. If there are thousands left over for other ways to distribute later, we will decide that when the time comes. It is basic conviction that it is a poor stewardship to hold on to our wealth for 20 years when it could be used in the Kingdom business presently.

So when I am given the challenge to help someone with daily bread, or with several hundred dollars in medical expenses, or school tuition in the best local Christian school, I don’t feel loss. I don’t worry that God who creates the rain will not also provide if there ever be a rainy day for us. We need to follow our instincts and the Holy Spirit, with our self interests in money not being an issue, but what is best for needy causes now. When we see ourselves as stewards of God who has blessed us; that He cares for all people like for us, we can freely give as we have been given.