7 Reasons to Give to Me

Like this bridge, I require a lot of different kinds of support.

Living an extraordinary life supported by others sounds like a nearly impossible dream. In the last article I detailed why it is important to give money away – now I'm going to speak specifically about my situation and why people might choose to support me.

There are a few reasons people would donate to keep me afloat:

1. They believe in what I'm doing.
   I feel like I have the most awesome job in the world. I get to see people's lives transformed and then watch them go out and change the world. There is nothing more exciting than to be on the front lines of making the world a better place to live. This spring we will have another group of students learning to be world-changers. Every day I think that every person would want to be a part of this if they could. Most people who support me fall into this category.
   
   
2. They want to do something outside of themselves.
   Giving away money is one of the best ways to keep what's really important in perspective – especially when you don't get anything out of it. Like I've been saying: Extraordinary lives begin when you determine to become a source of the good things in life instead of simply a consumer of them. Many people give to me because they want to do good in this world.
   
   
3. The work is important, and it's not getting done.
   Although there are many, many Christians in the world, there are still many people (approximately 30%!) who have never had the chance to hear and respond to the gospel. This is the greatest tragedy the world has faced, since it is preventable and avoidable, but the church has been largely self-serving and has not made a concentrated effort to reach the unreached. It's time to end that.
   
   
4. They want to do something but can't because of their schedule or job.
   This group essentially outsources the things they would do to me. They're saying “We would love to do what you're doing but can't for one reason or another, but want to send you in our place.” These are people I love to partner with because they are eager to hear the things that happen in my work and share the same passions I do.
   
   
5. They believe in me.
   This group of people would support me no matter what I did (like my Mom). They generally don't question what I do so much, they just know that they're happy to contribute to my overall health and well-being.
   
   
6. They understand a Biblical call to generosity.
   Both the old and new testaments implicitly and explicitly state that followers of God should be generous. Not just a call to obedience, but a real understanding of the excitement and joy that comes from being able to give someone some money. God desires interdependence among believers, and being generous with money is a big first step towards that goal.
   
   
7. They want the tax deduction.
   To be honest, I don't think anyone who gives to me does it solely for the tax benefits, but it is part of the equation for some.

Obviously that's not exhaustive. I don't presume to know every reason why people donate to me, since I'm not them. But that does cover the major reasons. In the next few days I'll post the final article in this series – the one that covers the more obscure questions I've gotten about living on support.