Needs without Neediness
Ran across an interview of Mark Jobe, founding pastor of New Life Community Church in Chicago, in Leadership Journal that touches on an issue close to my heart and critical to kingdom work in the city: meeting needs without fostering an attitude of "neediness." This simple statement speaks volumes:
His proposal?
How has New Life, and even Jobes himself, facilitated this? On the personal level, from the very beginning Jobes did this by modeling an attitude and lifestyle of self-sacrifice. On a corporate level, he insisted on tithing from the church budget 10% of their income to meet community needs—despite having so many needs as a church. The interviewer made this profoundly insightful and quotable observation:
BAM! Now that's what I'm talking about.
"We believe you can have needs but not be needy."
His proposal?
"One of the best ways to break [the neediness mindset] is to focus on being generous."
How has New Life, and even Jobes himself, facilitated this? On the personal level, from the very beginning Jobes did this by modeling an attitude and lifestyle of self-sacrifice. On a corporate level, he insisted on tithing from the church budget 10% of their income to meet community needs—despite having so many needs as a church. The interviewer made this profoundly insightful and quotable observation:
"So you elevated as more important something other than your own need."
BAM! Now that's what I'm talking about.
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