“The children are dressed and ready for school. But there is no food for them to eat.”

“The children are dressed and ready for school. But there is no food for them to eat,” the housemother of the orphanage informed George Mueller. George asked her to take the 300 children into the dining room and have them sit at the tables. He thanked God for the food and waited. George knew God would provide food for the children as he always did.

Within minutes, a baker knocked on the door. “Mr. Mueller,” he said, “last night I could not sleep. Somehow I knew that you would need bread this morning. I got up and baked three batches for you. I will bring it in.” Soon, there was another knock at the door. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. The milk would spoil by the time the wheel was fixed. He asked George if he could use some free milk. George smiled as the milkman brought in ten large cans of milk. It was just enough for the 300 thirsty children."

You may or may not have heard that story. Many are familiar with the incredible acts of faith that George Mueller is famous for. If you haven’t read his book, you should. Pretty amazing stuff. But I don’t bring up that story to talk about George Mueller. I bring it up because something stands out in that story that is common to both people who provided for those 300 kids that morning. There was something they had in common. The common thread is that both those men were providing resources that came from a business. The baker was just that…a baker. And the milkman was busy on his way delivering his morning route of milk to the local townspeople. Both had a trade. Both had skills. Both had resources to offer in that moment that God used to provide those 300 kids.

At Speiro, we are big proponents of giving out of our businesses. In fact, it’s one of the primary things we talk about.

We’ve personally seen and witnessed the kind of fruit we read about in the George Mueller story many times. However, for some, the concept of giving business resources away may seem foreign, maybe even irresponsible. Some would ask, why should I give out of my business when I give at home? Or…business is hard enough man, I need all the cash I can get. Totally understand. I’ve been there. Business can be challenging. However, as the story about George Mueller highlights, if you’re willing, and have the right mindset, God can use your company in ways you can’t imagine. And we believe, if you’re faithful with what God has given you, he will be faithful to provide more seed for the work you’re endeavoring to do.

The George Mueller story is inspiring and maybe for some that’s all you needed to hear.  But there are more reasons than a good story to consider being generous with your business.  At Speiro, we believe that Christian business owners should have a vertical, not just horizontal, mindset. And while this is not an exhaustive list, we’ll unpack three primary reasons why we see business as a fantastic vehicle for generosity.

We’ll start by pointing out something we all intuitively know, but don’t always acknowledge. And it’s this…the church and the mission simply need resources. The reality is that the church is underfunded across the globe. Time, talent and yes money are always in need and there is never enough to do the things the church could be doing on any given day. There are needs in third-world countries. There are needs in first world countries. Sending missionaries, planting churches, translating the bible, printing the bible, feeding the poor, caring for the sick, constructing buildings, purchasing land, paying staff salaries, funding para-church efforts, starting orphanages, etc, etc, etc.

You get it. Mission efforts require money. The undeniable fact is that most churches and most mission efforts would move more quickly if they had more money. Studies show that the average Evangelical Christian gives less than 1% of their income (.57%). And only 13% of all evangelical Christians give at all. Yikes. The old phrase, “show me your check book and I’ll show you what you care about” comes to mind. 

The old phrase, “show me your check book and I’ll show you what you care about” comes to mind.  

But I don’t write this to guilt anyone or even convince anyone to be generous. Seriously. That is between you and the Lord. I write this to point out the need is huge. I’m making a case that there’s a lot of work to be done and businesses hold a lot of resources that can be used to move the mission along. Now you might be saying, but doesn’t the Holy Spirit move the mission? The Holy Spirit doesn’t need money to save people right? Well if you went to church this Sunday and the lights were on and the water was running, then you first handedly experienced the need for the body to give money to their church. Yes, God can save anyone he wants, when he wants. But the reality is, God created money and the systems of our world and he works most often through those tangible systems so that we can be involved.  So money absolutely accelerates mission. With that, many businesses contain a lot of resources. Just like the George Mueller example, you never know when God could use what you have in your business to provide for the mission.  If you’re a website designer, maybe you can build one for your church. If you provide computer services, maybe you can manage your church’s network. Maybe your business is flush with cash and you could ask your elders what needs are unmet or what goals they have that can't be accomplished without increasing their budget. Or maybe they have a big vision they haven’t shared because they don’t think it will get funded. The needs are out there. Its vitally important that we, as the body, are aware of this and look for way to steward what God has given us.

So our first “why” is simply that there is a huge need.

Now, the second why is this.  We’ll start with some Old Testament.  Uhhh…the Old Testament doesn’t talk about business bro. I know, hang tight.  We’ll get there.  Let’s check out Deuteronomy 26. In this passage the Lord commands the Israelites to give out of their firstfruits as a symbolic act acknowledging that God had broken the bonds of slavery and delivered them through the desert and provided for each of them their portion of the promised land. The firstfruit offering was to be given to God before any of the harvest was consumed or sold and before anything was used for their personal needs.  I bet you’re already seeing the connection to your business. And what’s interesting is that this offering was to be given out of pure joy. Not tentatively. Not fearfully, but joyfully. Why? Because God had provided for them resources and blessings and freedom and He delivered on His promise to care for them. Verse 11 says this…“Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household”.  I absolutely love that. 

Why should we give before we take anything home? As an acknowledgement that God has provided resources for us.

That’s a big deal…especially if you’ve been wandering around in the dessert for 40 years. God provides them a means to feed their families and they are thankful about it. With that, if you have a business, you’ve been given your portion of the American dream, your piece of the promised land and shouldn’t you be thankful to God for providing that for you?  Shouldn't we be thankful for giving us a means of providing for our families? Thankful to Him for breaking the bonds of slavery and causing you to pass through the waters of salvation (now is when you say yes). When you give from your company you make a statement. You’re driving a stake in the ground and saying to anyone who will listen that this business is the Lord’s and as an act of faith I’m going to give from my firstfruits.

I simply don’t have the budget for it. There is no cash-ola in the cash drawer. My cashflow is more like a trickle or maybe the stream is even dried up.

Now, I know what some of you might be saying.  I love that idea but you don’t understand. I simply don’t have the budget for it. There is no cash-ola in the cash drawer. My cashflow is more like a trickle or maybe the stream is even dried up. I’ve been there and that is not a fun place to be. But my encouragement to you is this. When the chips are down and business is hard and you’re in the desert, that is quite possibly the very best time ever to give.  God is not distant. God is not unaware. He knows what your bank balance is. He knows your P&L better than you do. God is looking for faithful people to work with.

So what would it look like for you, as an act of faith and gratitude to give during that time. If you can only give $1 this month…give $1 (I’m serious). If you can give $100 this month, give $100. Maybe you can give $10,000.  You always have something to give.  It might only be symbolic but the Lord knows and he sees. 

Getting started is not hard so don’t overcomplicate it. At Speiro, we have a method for this called the “Speiro Way”. It’s a simple, yet effective system for carving out your giving in an organized, consistent way (we go into that in more detail in another post). We encourage you, even if you think you can’t, to boldly give in faith.  Even if its $1. Then let Jesus decide whether he wants you to give more.  Remember, He promises to provide seed for the sower.

Ok, on to reason number three.  Businesses have resources that you don’t have at home. Look back at the George Mueller story.  Would you have had enough milk for 300 kids in your fridge at home that morning? Maybe you have a Sub-Zero, double door, big ‘ol stainless steel fridge…but I bet you don’t keep enough milk on hand for 300 kids! And the bread?  That baker clearly had the facilities, the ovens, the mixers, the flour, the yeast and whatever else it took to wake up, start baking and crank out enough bread for 300 hungry kids. Does your home kitchen have that kind of capacity? I know ours doesn’t. So, my point is, businesses have resources that a home doesn’t. This can work itself out in a myriad of ways. Your business has talent, resources, assets, tools, supplies, services and capacities in whatever your specialty is that far exceeds the normal household.  And of course, I’m going to make the case that in many businesses there is cash that exceeds what you have at home as well.

I know what you might be saying…I need that cash to operate. Yes, cash is king in business. Yes, you really never have enough on hand. But have you ever noticed that whatever challenges you face, whatever obstacles you encounter in business you find ways to shape the business around them? We’ve all figured out how to slip something into the budget that we really want or need. A new tool, a larger space, better signage, a bigger truck. You name it. Heck, most of us have figured out how to provide a raise in pay here or there that wasn’t in the budget for a loyal staff member or even for ourselves. If you’re in business you know how to pivot when needed. This is how giving from your company works.  You make the mental commitment (because you care about the needs out there) and you slip in whatever you think you can do.  If you have a vertical business mindset and care about the mission, the idea of giving from your firstfruits will start to make a lot of sense. And if you’re giving monthly (verses a lump sum) its far less impactful to your current cash position.

Even smaller size companies can often find a way to carve out $500 or $1000 or even $3000 a month which is probably more than you can carve out of your home budget without some major adjustments.

Here's a quick note to those who might say…I could just pay myself more if I wanted to give more at home. That is true, you could. But you know what, you won’t. And if you do, there’s a good chance it will make it’s way into your bank account and get used on other stuff like gas, groceries, diapers, dog food, electric bills or maybe even a new toy. Some of us can be disciplined and make sure the money goes to the right place. But, its very easy to fall into the trap of finding other uses for more pay coming home. Pretty soon, you’ve funneled it to other things and giving has (potentially) fallen by the wayside.

This is getting long so lets wrap up. There’s a lot of needs out there. More than we could possibly fund. God has to do the work but its our job to participate. From the days of old God has given us examples of giving joyfully as recognition for what he’s done for us. If you are creative and have eyes to see it, there are resources inside the walls of your business, your Kingdom outpost (as we like to say at Speiro) that can be used to fund and accelerate the mission.  So let me leave you with a little homework. I would challenge you to reflect on what ways God has been generous to you. What resources has he provided to you that maybe were provided to you so that you could give to others? Take the time to stop and reflect on what things you have, if put to use, could accelerate the Good News. Remember, giving is never a drag. Giving is a blast. Its infectious and addictive and it never gets old. Don’t miss out on using your company for the Kingdom. You won’t look back.