How will I Live? Laying Down the Burden of Finances

Introduction of the Problem

After young men ask the question about marriage, which does have an answer, a flurry of other questions follow. How do missionaries make a living? Is it just a life of poverty? If I get married, how will I support a family? What can I do about debt or retirement? 

Valid questions, every one. You should ask these questions and find answers as you prepare to go overseas. The Burden of Finances should not prevent you from serving the Lord in missions. If God wants you to go overseas, he will make a way for you. The Bible speaks to this in an abundance of ways.

A Basic Theology

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:19

What people view as a burden is actually an opportunity. As a follower of Jesus, you should want to know Him more and more. Finances cut to the heart of this desire unlike anything else. They will either destroy you (1 Timothy 6:10) or foster a greater faith in God. 

Typical missions funding is support-based. Leaning on others for your income can be frightening. But, rightly done, you will press deeper into prayer and learn to rely on God all the more. Every missionary I have met has some story of surprise how God has provided for them. A random anonymous gift, being willed thousands of dollars, and a check showing up in the mail for your exact financial need are all examples of God’s faithfulness to missionaries. Even in the simple daily provision of supporters, God's provision reminds you of His presence in your ministry.

“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer deserves his wages.’” — 1 Timothy 5:17-18

Many men fall prey to the idea that as a missionary they are a charity case, begging for money. On certain occasions, I have fallen prey to that thinking, so this is a reminder to you and myself. Your kingdom labor deserves its wage. You are not supported out of pity. God has chosen you for this mission and therefore you are to be awarded a right wage. 

Missions does not have to be a commitment to a life of poverty. Sure, you may earn less than you would in a classic American career. But if you are shrewd with your finances and partner with a like-minded sending church or organization, you will not be relegated to a life of financial woes. 

We will shortly reframe the idea of funding missions and give some actionable ideas. But first, let’s examine the classical model of fundraising for missions. Typically mission agencies have their workers raise ongoing monthly giving and one time gifts for larger initial costs. They are supported by a variety of friends, family, and churches. Here are some quick points about support raising from the Bible.

• God (and His people) are rich in generosity, especially when funding His Kingdom work. When funding the Tabernacle, people gave so much that Moses had to tell them to stop because they were being too generous. (Matthew 35:29, 36:6)

• God will support His work and workers, and that support may come from the most unexpected places. Nehemiah despaired at the disrepair of Jerusalem finds support from a pagan, Persian king, Artaxerxes. (Nehemiah 2:1-8)

• God uses this process to affirm your ministry and to grow you faith before it is challenged overseas. He is a good Father who disciplines those whom He loves. And out of that discipline, He strengthens us to endure. (Hebrews 12:6-7)

Reframing Support Raising

My aim in this is to dignify and begin to address the masculine concerns of single men, rather than to belittle them. Even with a more robust theology and belief about fundraising and finances, men will still be challenged in this process. Expressed or unexpressed, each man believes that asking for support is emasculating.

When asking, why there are more single women than men overseas. My instinct is that this is one of many reasons for the discrepancy. Single women are just more comfortable receiving support, and people more readily support a single woman over a single man. But I do not begrudge this potential reality and neither should you.

“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” — 1 Timothy 5:8

A facet of God’s created nature is for men to be providers. We feel it. And I affirm it. 

This is a created good and a blessing from God. So the concept of “support” needs to be reframed. Being provided for does not mean you are shirking your duty. Here are a few different ways of looking at support.

• Partnership, not Charity: as a missionary, you are not a charity case. Do not go to people like an orphan begging on the street corner. Approach a support meeting as a call to partnership. “God has asked me to spread His glorious Kingdom to the tribes of Papua New Guinea. Would you consider partnering with God and me in this work?”

• Investment into the Kingdom: through your work, you will be building the Kingdom of God. God will be using you as an answer to our prayers, “Your kingdom come… on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9-13) 

• Collection of Counselors: money is not your primary focus in fundraising. It is mobilizing people in prayer and participation in missions. Often missional work will demand something more than just theology, you’ll need skills like leadership, organizational systems, business, and administration. Approach people thinking of how they might partner in providing wise counsel. This becomes especially meaningful in the creative approaches below.

• Ministry before your Mission: your ministry begins before you step on a plane. Every potential partner in missions can benefit from your ministering at that moment. Their lives may be good or bad. Both provide you with an opportunity to speak words of life. So do not approach them as potential money. Instead “be ready in season and out of season” to preach the word. (2 Timothy 4:2)

Hopefully, this reframing helps your thinking on support raising, I mean ministry partnership. Following are creative approaches to finances that men have expressed interest in or find helpful.

Creative Approaches

“Because [Paul] was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.” — Acts 18:3

Whether people go to the far-flung reaches of the world or never move out of the city of their birth, God calls us to build His Kingdom. Therefore, the 9-to-5 office career man has as much of a call to obedience as the missionary in Brunei. While each may serve the Lord in different ways, the truth is clear. Work, in the American career sense, is not in opposition to serving God. 

Paul exercised this in his tent-making. At other times, he did live off the generous support of churches. From his example and others, we can begin to examine different financial approaches to missions.

• International Career: the first approach is to work for a company with either international offices or be hired by a foreign company. You’ll need a specialized skill or to discover a niche opportunity, but this option does provide nice stability and authentic access into a country. A word of caution: consider who you will be working for. Would it be ethical to minister in or around the workplace? How many hours will you be working? What might team and community look like among other believers?

• Digital Nomads and Remote Work: if you can find a position that is location-independent, you can be provided with great mobility and income. Challenges to this approach are: what is your reason for being in the country you are serving? Where does your visa come from? How will your time be split between your remote job and local ministry? 

• Supplemental Approach: how are you preparing now? You can supplement a classic support model by investing presently. You can develop small, evergreen side hustles, which after launch require low maintenance. You can purchase a small house, and while you are abroad, it can be rented out until you return and need a place to live. You can begin saving and investing. While this may not provide an income now, it can benefit you when you return to the States and/or retire.

• Integrated Business: the final is an area, where I have some experience. You can start a small business, which integrates business with mission. You minister like Paul to your employees, leading a business informed by Scripture. You lead tours to distant villages, providing a unique service and expanding your ministry network. If done properly, this entrepreneurship could supplement or cover all your financial needs.

None of these are simple or easy, but for the right man could be worthwhile. I word of advice in whatever approach you take in missions consider three things. First, be sent from your church. Even if you do not receive a dollar in support, you will need support in other things—spiritually, emotionally, socially, and so on. Second, consider your local support. Just because you have a career doesn’t mean you do not need support in the spiritual, cultural aspect of your work. So look into local teams or organizations who operate in that locality who will be able to advise you more fully. And third, think about emergency situations and develop a network and/or funds as a backup. If you lost your job, would you be stranded in a foreign country? Or if civil unrest or a natural disaster occurred, would you have the means to navigate those difficulties? 

Go in wisely, trusting the Lord in all things. He loves His people and the more you align with His work and His heart, He will bless you and your work.

Simple Advice

For those who are in and excited, I would share a few pieces of advice that God-willing will best prepare you to go overseas. The Single Male Missionary Project wants you to succeed, so start with these simple steps.

• Start Volunteering: you do not become a missionary by just deciding you are one. Head knowledge, while helpful, is not all you need for ministry. You need to serve actively and learn for experience. When it comes time to be sent out, churches and potential supporters will want to know who you are and that you will do the work. 

• Get Cross-Cultural Experience: serving with international students, refugees, or immigrants will help refine your missional direction. Also, it will serve the same purposes as volunteering. 

• Pay Off Debt: while some organizations will craft a budget to accommodate things like student debt, you shouldn’t wait around for them. When you are young and single, you can work harder and live leaner than at other times in life. So focus on paying off your debt to prepare for serving overseas.

• Get Mentorship: if you aren’t sure where to start in this process, look for a mentor. They could be a pastor, campus minister, mission agency representatives, or someone else. Their advice will be more oriented to your exact needs. 

You may still have particular financial questions that remain unanswered. This again is where a mentor will help. If you have a strong idea of what type of missions you’d like to be involved with, you should consider reaching out to them. Each denomination, church, and mission agency will have their own approaches to finance, so it can be helpful to hear their insights into your situation.

In all things commit yourself to God. Your life, your time, your money are the Lord’s. Fear not the burden of finances. While we may be weak, our King is far stronger. 

Our King reigns, and men are being sent out as His ambassadors. Out of the great stores of Kingdom wealth, He builds His earthly Kingdom. So do carry the burden of money, but cast it on Him, who gives in abundance. Know your King, for He is good. Serve Him with every fiber of your being.