The Saleeby Question

A kind-hearted friend thought out loud, “How can I justify spending $2000 to visit India for two weeks to help with aid projects when I could send that money to a missionary friend there who could live off it for a year?”

Good question. It’s a question that captures many of the challenging decisions that must be made when want to help others. It can even be a little paralysing and depressing to think about. But it’s worth it.

How can we best use our excess?
$2000 dollars could:
- fund a new hobby like scuba diving that we’ve always dreamed of;
- take our family on a well-needed holiday;
- dig a well for clean water for a village in a developing nation;
- support four orphans for a year;
- fund a trip where you see projects, encourage locals, and come back inspiring others to give and go;
- buy about 500 happy meals (can’t buy happiness though)

I’m still working on a great answer. But here are some thoughts so far.

Remember the purpose of your heart, that God-given desire to help and put others before yourself.
If you are led by need it could do your head in (or make you a hero like Mother Teresa?). I try to pray about financial decisions and be led by God.

In Ecclesiastes, a Hebrew book of wisdom, it says, “There’s a time for everything under the sun.” As long as money is not your god then it’s just money, it comes and it goes.

What are your thoughts about how we can best use our excess?