By Brandon Allen Executive Director | Fortify Foundation
One of the benefits of God’s Word is the timeless stories, examples, truths, and principles we can learn to live by. I truly believe that Scripture gives us sufficient information for all areas of life, one of those areas being our finance. God gives us so much to consider when it comes to the use of our monies. My aim here isn’t to recreate any existing books or information that you may already know. But I would like you to consider one example from one Biblical character.
The story of Joseph has always been intriguing to me. I’ll never forget one of my summer camp experiences when the speaker focused on principles from the life of Joseph. It truly was life changing!
There are so many principles we can focus on in Joseph’s life but for the sake of this article, I’m going to narrow it down to 3.
- Principle of Patience (Genesis 37:2; 41:46)
One of the hardest things for me to comprehend is how long it took for Joseph’s purpose to come to fruition. It’s hard enough when we have trials that last weeks or perhaps even months. But can you imagine waiting 13 years?? He suffered so many unique challenges between his own family, “friends”, and even bosses that would wrong him. And yet he stayed the course and remained faithful to the mission God had given him.
We know the truth of Genesis 50:20 which reminds us that what man meant for evil against Joseph is something that God would ultimately use for their good! But it required incredible patience on Joseph’s part. Oh, and it wasn’t just the 13 years of slavery and imprisonment. It also required an additional 7 years of patience before he would ultimately reap what God has intended to use him for.
A grand total of 20 years of patiently waiting for God’s plan to unfold! We’ve all heard the phrase “good things come to those who wait”. The problem often lies in our ability to be patient or plan ahead that far. Which brings us to the next principle…
- Principle of Planning (Genesis 41:34-36)
Benjamin Franklin once said, “if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”. Planning is such a crucial element to the success of any organization. If we want to make forward progress, we must continue to look ahead and cast a vision for our respective ministries.
Consider what took place when God used Joseph to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. As you read the passage in Genesis 41, we find out that God revealed what was to come but not necessarily what to specifically do. Joseph offered advice on how to get through the 7 years of famine by planning ahead! God was gracious enough to reveal what would happen in the next 14 years, but it was up to them to change what they were doing now to get them through the future.
This is often the battle that we struggle with. There is often the mindset that regardless of what the future holds, God will get us through. Does God promise to take care of our needs? Of course He does! It’s in the very name of Jehovah-Jireh! But that most assuredly doesn’t alleviate our responsibility to work and plan ahead.
The truly successful organizations are the ones who think in the long term and expect their ministry to last well beyond their lifetime. It often comes down to our personal mindsets. Do we think in terms of our time serving at the school? What can we accomplish while we are here? Or do we think in terms of longevity? Serving the school in such a way that it is set up to go on well beyond our own tenure. This is often the difference of establishing shiny new things that impress in the short term versus creating a more stable financial footing.
Joseph was finally in a position to just sit back and enjoy ALL that Egypt had to offer. He could have easily squandered what was given in the first seven years and squeaked by in the latter seven. But instead, his careful planning would not only impact Egypt but also the surrounding regions! Joseph’s planning prior to the great dearth would save the lives of many in the future! Which brings us to our third and final principle…
- Principle of Positioning (Genesis 47:23-25)
Notice that this planning would also turn out to be a great investment that would create even greater returns for Egypt! When the people were looking for food, Egypt would be their beacon of hope. A lighthouse of opportunity to keep their families alive!
Why? All of this was a result of how he positioned Egypt. Joseph’s plan to set aside 1/5 in the planning stage allowed him to receive that back and more in the positioning stage! My aim here isn’t to focus on how we as Christian educators can make ourselves richer. But I do want us to consider how God can use our current and future planning to position ourselves in such a way that we can have an even greater impact on others!
I’ll never forget reading about a school that gave $500 million back to their community from their endowment fund. How in the world could they do this? It’s all due to how they chose to plan their monies in the past to position themselves in the current. Could you imagine positioning your school in such a way that it could repeatedly give back to your students, teachers, or perhaps even the greater community? How much of an impact would that have on those you are investing your time and energy in?
Proverbs 13:22 reminds us of the wise individual that not only plans for themselves but is also able to pass on to the next generation. It’s true that we will either be the ones that plan ahead and have the ability to help others, OR we are the ones that will need to be helped.
Hopefully by now you understand that God has brought you to the position you are in for “such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). Regardless of what has transpired in the past, God has placed you there in the present and you are the one who is contributing to your ministry’s future. You are the one who has the ability to potentially change the course in the next generation’s outcome. Great leaders make great impact. The thing is, that impact shouldn’t end with us. It should go well beyond us!
I don’t think any of us could have predicted what transpired in the year 2020. As we look back, many of us are thankful for that year in how God has turned around many Christian schools and blessed them with an upward trajectory in their enrollment. Amen! Let’s take full advantage of this opportunity to use the additional resources God has entrusted to us by planning and seeking opportunities to position ourselves differently in the future!
Brandon Allen is the Executive Director for Fortify Foundation. Fortify is a strategic ministry partner formed exclusively to benefit Christian education. Brandon, and the Fortify team, is ready to help you, your donors, and stakeholders through fundraising, capital campaign management, and endowment support to benefit your short and long-term financial goals.
As you explore the concept of endowment, I would love to have a conversation with you about how this can create a more sustainable future for your school!
Contact Brandon at 803-615-3037 ext. 1 or Click HERE to schedule a call.
As you explore the concept of endowment, we would love to have a conversation with you and your board about how this can create a more sustainable future for your school! Contact us at 803-615-3037 ext. 1 or Click HERE to schedule a call.