Why I Believe0

As Summit gears up this Spring to raise money for expanding its ministry, I thought I should offer my two cents (no pun intended!) on why my husband and I are participating. Of the contributing writers to this blog, I thought I’d be the best one to write this post since I’m the only one not on staff, which means I’m not being paid to do it.

But in all seriousness, this is something that my husband, Ike, and I have prayed through and feel very strongly about. Our reason is two-fold:

1. I Believe in God’s Work at the Summit.

I have been a member at the Summit for about 6 years now, and during that time I’ve watched the Summit outgrow two locations and expand to several multi-sites around RDU. I’ve seen hundreds of people get baptized and heard countless testimonies from people who came to the Lord through members of this church. A friend of mine who recently moved to this area summarized this phenomenon the following way: “I’ve been to churches all over the country, but I’ve never seen what’s happening at the Summit. There is a movement going on here.”

I believe that RDU will be fundamentally changed because of the Summit’s presence here. I believe that so strongly that Ike and I have given to the Believe Campaign in spite of the fact that we are leaving the area for at least 3 years to pursue further education.

As I look upon the Summit’s future I feel a bit like Moses. After walking with the Summit through its incredible journey of faith and miracles, I won’t get to be here for what’s next. But like Moses I also know that there is great abundance and unimaginable goodness in store for His people. I have experienced it myself, so I desire to be a part of blessing others in the future, even if I’m not here to witness it first-hand.

2. I Believe in Mastering My Possessions, Rather Than Letting Them Master Me.

The second reason and most important reason that Ike and I have decided to give sacrificially to the Believe Campaign has nothing to do with Summit, and everything to do with our relationship to God. When we first discussed how much to give, I felt myself resistant to the amount. I noticed myself feeling fearful and anxious. “Do we really need to give that much?” I complained.

Immediately, these feelings uncovered an idol in my heart. This process has been a test of where I find my security. We weren’t talking about giving away our life’s savings, but the amount was large enough that it threatened my practical savior of financial security. It opened my eyes to the thing I was trusting in more than Christ.

In this way, our giving to Believe, and to the church in general, has been an exercise in guarding Christ’s Lordship in our lives. If we are not on our guard, our hearts will ever so subtly grip themselves around our possessions. We therefore give as an act of obedience and Christian discipline. It is a way of protecting ourselves from the pitfalls of material idolatry and forcing us to continually walk in faith. If we do not compel our flesh towards obedience, our flesh will inevitably wander.

In conclusion, those are the two main reasons that my husband and I give. And while every person is going to give differently and perhaps for different reasons, I especially challenge you to consider my latter point. God is doing great things at the Summit, but no church is perfect. Do not give because of the return you expect from your church. This is a thoroughly secular view of giving, and it will tempt you to give conditionally.

Instead, give as an act of worship and submission to God. Give as a means for removing obstacles to intimacy with Him. God can use your possessions to do marvelous things, but your possessions can also use you. So see this as an opportunity to destroy your practical saviors, and worship the one true Savior alone.