In his book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis said, “If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this”.
Paul compared the Christian life to a race, encouraging us to run the race with consistency, determination, and commitment (see Hebrews 12). A long-distance race is not won by the short distance sprinter… it is won by the one who paces himself, and runs the race with endurance and skill, having conditioned himself for the task.
Having just returned from a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, and seeing the need that exists there, it brings that analogy of “the race” closer to home. While people who do the “big thing” do a lot to advance the work of the Kingdom of God, the Bible says that we should not despise the day of small beginnings (Zechariah 4:10). The fact is that most people do not have the wherewithal to pay for an orphanage, or supply drinking water to an entire village; however, we can all do the small, consistent thing – the small gifts that, when joined together, make the huge difference that can change the world.
What makes up a $100 bill? 10,000 individual pennies.
How do you change the world? One single, solitary heart at a time.
In our current economy, it is easy to lose hope when it comes to giving. It is easy to lose sight of the small, consistent thing we can all do in the shadow of the desire to do the big thing. We all have the desire to do something, but it is easy to succumb to a spirit of condemnation and defeat when we either cannot do all we think we should, or in some way fail to do what we have committed to. Sometimes, throwing up the white flag of surrender seems easier than trying to win the race.
However, maybe Paul knew something that we all forget too easily. Maybe Paul knew that it is not always about winning as much as it is about finishing. Just maybe, Paul knew that, in the Christian life, the winning is in the finishing.
Here at Ron Phillips Ministries and Abba’s House, we are reaching the world in a variety of ways. Not only do we have our international television program, Ron Phillips from Abba’s House, and our associated print and media ministry, but we are also involved in a variety of mission projects, not just here in the United States, but around the world. Jerusalem, Guatemala, South Dakota, the Dominican Republic – just a few places in the world we are reaching through the generosity of faithful partners and friends who make what we do possible.
If you have given to Ron Phillips Ministries in the past, words cannot express our gratefulness to you, or the impact you have made on the lives of so many people.
If you have not given, but would like to be a part of something bigger than yourself, it only takes one thing… a willingness to start. When you give to Ron Phillips Ministries, you can be confident that your gift is going to share the Gospel of Jesus, whether through television, internet, or boots-on-the-ground mission work around the world.
Will you help us? Will you use this opportunity to make a fresh start in giving to the work of God around the world?
Please help us change the world… one heart at a time.
If you would like to talk to someone about how you can be a part, call 1-800-877-6493.
You can also contact us online at www.ronphillips.org, or click here to give securely online.
If you would like more information on how you can partner with Ron Phillips Ministries, click here.