ramsey & lewis

Er, that would be Dave Ramsey and C.S. Lewis.

I know. Kind of an odd pairing.

But they have conspired to knock some sense into me, and as such, I’m doing a lot of budgetary reorganizing and curtailing.

C.S. Lewis said that if our giving didn’t hamper or pinch us, we weren’t giving enough. It should be a sacrifice. That is so true. And so I’m going to start giving more. I wanted to start giving monthly to charitable organizations, but I was kind of overwhelmed because there are so many worthy choices.

However, I decided to pick one that, above ministering to the body, ministered to the soul. Nothing — not food, not water, not clothing, not medicine — is more important than knowing Jesus Christ. And so I’ve decided to sponsor both a missionary and a child through Gospel for Asia, whose primary mission is to share the Gospel of Jesus with those who have never even heard His name. One hundred percent of all funds given go directly to the field. (Of course, in conjunction with sharing the Gospel, GFA provides meals, medical care, and schooling for children, installs Jesus Wells in villages without access to clean water, etc.)

In addition, I am going to do Reading for a Cause again next year and take all of the money collected at the end of 2010 and give it to Amazima International. This is the missions organization that sponsors Katie, the 20-year-old girl who went against popular opinion, including that of her family, and went to live as a missionary in the middle of nowhere, Uganda, where she has since adopted 13 girls as her own and ministers to thousands of other villagers.

Also? One of my passions has always been interacting, mentoring, and discipling adolescent and teenage girls. I believe God has given me a gift in that area, and I believe that He has allowed me to experience the things that I have so that I might help someone else through similar situations. I have always wanted to lead a small group of girls Mia’s age or a little older.

That’s one of the goals on what I’d like to achieve by the time I’m 35. (November 7, 2010). Another goal on that list is to be in a house. I believe the two can — and will — go hand-in-hand. I’m not saying I can’t lead a small group in my little apartment, but I just think it would be so great to have the space to host get-togethers and Bible studies and slumber parties. I want to have a game system or two; Rock Band; a good TV. You know, make it a place where kids will want to spend time so that I can effectively model Christ’s love in a way that will impact them.

My lease is up next October and my parents have indicated that perhaps they want to buy a house as an investment and that they’d want me to live there. So I’m going to start a fund now so that when the time comes, I’ll be able to get everything set up. It is an investment into ministry. All ministries are great, but I believe there is really nothing more important than investing in and pouring into our youth — especially in this age of moral ambivalence.

As C.S. Lewis advises, this giving is a sacrifice for me. I love to travel, and I’d planned trips over the next few months to see various friends and family in various places across the country. I will no longer be able to do that. It’s hard, but who am I to complain if I can’t go to San Diego or Baltimore or Washington or New York? I am well-off — positively wealthy compared to many in the world. I know Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and when I die, I will be spending an eternity in heaven. Who am I to complain that I can’t go on vacation?

I want to give as much as I can, and this is where Dave Ramsey comes in. I’m going back to applying his methods and advice to my finances and budget and in a year’s time, I should have everything paid off except school loans. More importantly, it’ll free up more funds that I can use to minister to others in Jesus’ name.