A REFLECTION on RESOURCES

Collin Tan

Chairman of MMS Finance Committee.

Here’s the deal. There is bad news and there is worse news, then there is good news and a catch. Of course, there is a catch – otherwise it would not be a deal.

First, the bad news. In relation to your salvation, there is a purchase price involved – yes there is quite a cost involved. Even worse news is that you cannot afford to pay it! We cannot buy salvation - even if you pulled together all the wealth you have, all your resources you could find and went all in with your consolidated balance sheet, you would still not be able to afford it. The good news is that the purchase price for your salvation has been paid in full. Yes, salvation is freely given to all who believe. Then there is the catch – Salvation is free but you cannot have it all to yourself; you have got to share it. That is the deal; that is the mission.

God has achieved His purpose (for our salvation) without relying on our resources. Conversely, we cannot achieve God’s purpose (His mission for us) without reliance on His resources. In relation to answering the calling to missions, MMS has been a testimony that our God is faithful. When we renounce dependence on our own resourcing abilities, it is then that we recognise that our God will supply all our needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ. Through the sharing from partner churches and your generous gifts and resourcing, MMS has been able to share in meeting the needs in educating communities, through various student bursaries and support programmes, we have been able to build schools, homes and facilities for orphanages, carried out medical missions, and other community outreach work in Cambodia, East Asia, Laos, Nepal, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

This is made possible by your partnership in “the catch” (pun intended, as we are, after all, called to be fishers of men), also by your sharing and generous giving of resources. As the Apostle Paul shares in his letter to the Philippians, “Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.” Philippians 4:17 (NIV)

Over the past year, the team at MMS has worked to align our management of resources with governance and strategy under a funding framework which operates with the kingdom principle of stewardship; Making sure we balance our books given the funding needs in the mission field. Similar to Paul’s reference to needs being met in Philippians, we draw from Proverbs 30, “… give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread (needs). Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” Proverbs 30:8-9 (NIV)

We serve a Redeemer God who paid the price and purchased us by giving His only Son, so let us share as His Holy Spirit convicts us till He returns and finds us faithful servants of His resources.

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