7 Reasons to Mobilize Local Resources

7 Reasons to Mobilize Local Resources

When we consider the great needs among the world’s poorest, most of us feel a certain urgency to give. With God-given compassion and generosity, we jump in to feed malnourished children, dig wells, and provide any other resources that may be lacking. For most of us, when faced with a picture of a mother and her children dressed in filthy rags, the last thing that we think is, “How do we challenge the poor to give?”

We have so much. The needs are so extreme. And the Bible commands us to give. It seems to make no sense to talk about asking the most vulnerable to contribute. However, if we want to see vulnerable people moving beyond mere survival to truly flourishing, mobilizing local resources is key. Here are a few reasons why we need to mobilize local resources:

Giving is Commanded

The first reason is quite simple: giving is commanded. Many times throughout the Old and New Testaments, God commands His people to give. These verses on giving aren’t limited to those who have much. There are numerous examples of those with little giving what they have—the widow who gave up her last meal (1 Kings 17) comes to mind.

While not everyone can give money, even the poorest have resources—skills, tools, relationships, time, wisdom, creativity, and problem solving (to name a few). As we learn to give, we stop looking at what we don’t have and start to see what God has already given us. Giving teaches us to use the resources that God has given us well.

It breaks the lie of dependency

This is the number-one reason that Majority World pastors give for the importance of mobilizing local resources. All around the world people are stuck because they’re waiting for help. Communities are paralyzed and projects are unable to move forward because people cannot see the resources that God has already given them.

There are thousands of people around the world praying that God would send them a foreign benefactor, while their land sits unplanted. They are blind to what they already have. They have been taught to look to the West for resources, and so they do.

Mobilizing local resources causes people to see what God has already given them. In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25) we see that the master didn’t multiply the servants’ talents until they were using what they already had. It’s no different for any of us today, even the most vulnerable. We must start by wisely using what God has already given us and see what how He responds.

Giving opens the door to God’s blessings

The Bible tells us that we will receive from God in the same measure as we give (Luke 6:38). There are many examples of how God multiplies the resources of vulnerable people when they offer Him what little they have. Sometimes hostile or apathetic governments suddenly begin building schools or installing public toilets. Other times farmers’ land simply grows more. Sometimes it’s not financial blessing but peace with their neighbors or with the government or growth of the church.

When outsiders turn up, giving what vulnerable people could have given, we rob them of experiencing blessings like these. Given God’s incredible storehouse of blessings and His knowledge of exactly what is needed in any situation, this is a terrible exchange. Wouldn’t we want those we work with to know God’s blessings?

It points people to God

For years the West has inadvertently taught the poorest people that wealthy benefactors are the solution to their problems. The result is that believers all around the world are praying desperately that God would bring them outside funding.

The Bible is clear that God wants people to put their hope in Him and His provision, not in other broken people (Psalm 20:7, Isaiah 20:5, 31:1). In reality, one of the most important things we can do for vulnerable people is to point them back to God. By mobilizing local resources, we help to refocus people’s eyes on God as their provider.

It restores dignity

God ordained humankind to steward the earth (Genesis 1:26) and then commissioned His people as ambassadors of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 28:18-20). Being a recipient of handouts undermines our God-given identity as stewards and Kingdom builders. While resources from outsiders may give the church or community something they want (although, according to many Majority World leaders, that’s fairly rare), in the process they lose a part of their identity.

Conversely, those who build their own latrines, creatively solve their water problems, provide for their own families, or sacrificially help their neighbors stand up proud as they share what they have accomplished. While the results might not look quite as impressive as things built by outside funding, the sense of accomplishment that comes with them is immense.

It ensures we are meeting real needs

Among the poor, it is well-understood that a foreign donor is a precious thing. After praying and hoping for help from an outsider, they certainly aren’t going to do anything to jeopardize that relationship—certainly not disagree with them or explain that their project idea isn’t what is needed.

One Majority World church was hosting a training that they had no interest in or need for. The leader explained, “Many people wanted to come lead seminars. These people paid all the costs of the seminar, which helps cover the costs of running the head office.” So, even though the seminar wasn’t seen as necessary or helpful, they went ahead with it. “It’s what you have to do,” she shared, “to build good relationships and get money.” Sadly, this is a very common scenario—churches or communities implementing projects nobody really wants to appease and maintain relationships with a donor.

When projects are at least partly funded by local giving, they tend to line up with what the community actually wants. If they have to give sacrificially towards the project, they are going to be much less likely to go ahead with something they really don’t want.

It creates ownership

Almost inevitably, interventions need more inputs at some stage—wells need repair, medical centers needs new supplies (or just cleaning). Unfortunately, more often than we would like to imagine, this upkeep doesn’t happen.

There are two main reasons why. One: they never really wanted it in the first place, so it sits neglected. Or two: beliefs… by providing outside resources, we haven’t changed the incorrect belief that they need outsiders to come and help—we’ve reinforced it. Those who gave expected the recipients would take responsibility. Those who received assumed those with all the resources would maintain what they created. And so both parties sit around, frustrated at the other, while the perfectly good project goes to waste.

Conclusion

Despite all of these pitfalls, the Bible does command all of us to give. In a future article, we will look at how those with material wealth can give wisely and without causing harm. One thing is sure: we must not rob vulnerable people of their God-given identity or harm their relationship with God. Mobilizing resources helps to restore people’s identities, overcomes the lie of dependency, and points people to hope in God.