30 Apr Beyond Money
Many businesses are giving back to their communities. They are doing this in a variety of ways. Some choose to donate to charities that are dear and near to their hearts, or they may give their proceeds to a non-profit or similar organization — giving to others is precisely what we should do, but what happens when your business may not earn enough to donate money to a charity? You may feel robbed of the opportunity to help your fellow man or become impatient as you wait for your business finances to increase, but there are more ways to give than money. Yes! Charities and Non-profit organizations need financial support, but they also need many other resources that your business may be able to offer. Here are three ways you can give beyond money.
Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.
“We rise by helping others.”
Time (Volunteer)
Our time is precious. What we do with it cannot be changed. Once we have spent it, it is gone, no reimbursements, no saving it for another day. Once you have given your time to a particular project, person, or place, there is no getting it back. That is why how you spend your time is essential. Managing our time can be challenging, but if you think of it as an investment to help someone else, you may decide that helping someone over watching your favorite television show is well worth it.
Jesus spent time with those who needed Him. We live in a world of the hustle and bustle. We move quickly and desire our time alone. But there is something special about asking yourself if an individual needs your time. How can you and your business find a need and meet it by volunteering?
Jesus also spent time with those who wanted what He offered. Jesus offered the gift of salvation, wisdom, and healing. What is it that your business team can provide to a non-profit organization or the homeless? What knowledge can you bring to a struggling organization? Who on your team oozes with compassion? Who has a creative flair that can boost joy into the homeless or put a smile on an orphan’s face? How can you propel your team to go out and make a difference to individuals in your city just by being who they are and being willing to share their spiritual and physical gifts?
Spending time with others (even if it is virtual) can speak louder than money or gifts. Some companies have made volunteering a part of the companies culture, giving their employees paid time off to volunteer. You could also volunteer together, taking a day during the weekend to help the community. The reward in this would be your business would become a family, a family of givers of their time for a cause greater than themselves.
Share your skills
God has gifted individuals with particular knowledge or wisdom on a specific entity. These are opportunities to use what you know to help others. What if your business is overflowing with revenue, and you don’t know what to do with the excess. Some may buy a beach house or a new car. Others may use the surplus to cultivate their love for architecture to inner-city children and help them learn a new skill. If you are an expert at starting projects, you may donate your time and knowledge to someone who is trying to start up a non-profit organization. If you can code or write, you can help build or write content for a website. Why keep all that you know for yourself when you can help so many others.
“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it.”
Let the creative juices flow
Do you have individuals on your team that light up when it comes to putting together projects? Here is an excellent opportunity for you to let their gifting shine. They can organize a fundraising event and give the funds to a local charity, missionaries, orphans, veterans, or a battered women’s shelter. They can plan team building events to non- profit organizations, to the Food Bank or places like Teen Challenge and Convoy of Hope.
Love One Another
Genuinely loving others is the most important act we can fulfill. We can spend our time with others, give knowledge, and create fantastic events. But if we do these things without love, it gains us nothing. We do not give to impress others or make us feel better. We give to be a blessing. I challenge you today to think of ways that you and your team can spend time loving on someone. How can you share your knowledge with an individual or organization? Who in your business loves planning events that will show love to their community?
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in Spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:1-4
My daughter came to me with the verse above a few days ago. It resonated with her heart. As I look at it, I think to myself, what a great motto for a company. May God bless you today in all that you do, and may His love flow from you to others.
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:38
Check out this article on companies giving back.
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