A Small Taste of “Living at Zero”

George Muller made a commitment to never go into debt OR save any money for ‘emergency purposes’ or ‘cushion money.’ He lived at zero dollars throughout his lifetime of ministry. He relied completely and totally on God for providing all his personal needs and for the ministry he did. God never failed him. Through fervent prayer, faith and trust, God always came through (oftentimes at the last minute) with providing everything.  George Muller put his trust in God instead of money.

I have found this so intriguing, attractive, and terrifying all at the same time. I began to think of how I might live like this on a practical level. At least begin to get closer to ‘living at zero.’ I really wanted to see what kind of faith I had and experience God’s provision firsthand so that I could testify to His sovereignty. I wanted to put my faith to the test and see what happened.

I was not disappointed.

All semester I have been pretty low on the cash flow and these past few weeks have been no exception. I have been saving all I could for relocating to Colorado this summer for working with the Summit County Church of Christ. My dad has graciously paid me for mowing the lawn and trimming hedges recently in order to help me out. Today I had a total of $135 and dad owed me $75 for yard work – a total of $210. I had figured up that I needed $310 to last me until my first paycheck from my job in Colorado, so I was $100 short. Dad had said earlier that he would loan me the difference so that I could have enough food to eat until then, although he did NOT know the amount that I was lacking.

The load was very tempting, but I decided to put my faith into action by declining the loan my dad would offer. I began to pray hard that He would provide for me somehow, and I was ready to live off of ramen noodles and even skip a few meals if it came to that. I thought and prayed about it all day today.

This evening dad asked me about the money situation and I told him that I would make what I had, stretch as long as I could. I told him that mom had given me some food and that some of the members in Colorado were eager to feed me a few meals. It was hard to turn down the loan money that he offered but I knew I had to do it.

He sat down to write me a check for the $75 dollars he owed me, but when he handed it to me it showed $175 – out of the blue! I expressed my disbelief before he mentioned that “The extra $100 is a gift. We were going to help you out for the spring break mission trip but didn’t get a chance to.” I was in shock.

He had no idea what the amount was that I needed and he wrote the exact amount completely unexpected. Now tell me – if THAT is not God’s provision, what IS!? I asked the Lord to increase my faith and there is no doubt He did! I didn’t even have to wait until I got down to the last few dollars before He gave me what I needed. I tell this story to bring glory to our incredible God! I am so thankful for the testimony He has given me. I hope you are encouraged and will put your faith to the test as well. If done in prayer and trust, you won’t be disappointed.

George Muller

             He turned from a life full of drunkenness, thievery, indulgence and deceit to a life of humility, servitude, devotion and full submission to God. He set out to build five orphan dormitories (which housed hundreds of children) out of sheer dependence on God’s provision of finances, and succeeded with the direct involvement of God Almighty. Beginning when he was 65 over a period of 17 years he preached thousands of sermons to millions of people on 5 different continents because of his deep convictions grounded in the Word of Truth. This man is none other than George Muller of Bristol; disciple and missionary preacher. His doctor said it best: “I have never seen so unhuman a man.” And it was all because his strength did not come from himself or any man, but rather from the all powerful hand of God.

            I would like to summarize four spiritual concepts in the life of George Muller which formed his devotional life and led him to be a more effective servant of Christ. To illustrate the items of prayer, Bible study, Spirit-filled lifestyle and humility will shape the window into which we view the life and convictions of this incredible man.

            As emphasized over and over again, Muller’s secret to firmness in faith was found in his prayer life. Early on he developed the habit of communing with God in secret every day – sometimes for as long as two hours. He would not make a decision, whether great or small, without first spending time in prayer and being open to knowing the mind of God. In those greater decisions he would many times spend weeks in fervent prayer before coming to know for sure which direction he was being led. In the case of opening a new orphanage, he did not consult anyone else’s input (not even his own wife) lest he be swayed by the fallible and narrow views of humans. When he finally felt sure that God was calling him to take on this great task, he confronted his wife with the decision and they moved forward. Another important lesson he learned through prayer is the importance of being open to God’s timing. At times earlier in his life, he proceeded without God in the matters he knew were God’s will, but he was prevented from making any progress. Later he realized that it had not been the right time to make such executive decisions, and thenceforth he resolved to stand still until God made it clear that it was time to move.

            His zeal in studying the scriptures also proved extremely valuable in the spiritual formation of George Muller. Before studying, he would pray that he would approach the text completely unbiased and with no presuppositions in order that he may take the true and full meaning of what the Lord what trying to speak to him at that moment. All his arguments and convictions were firmly based on the foundation of scripture and would not sway to other’s views if they did not have a clear grounding in the Bible.

            The divine intervention in the life of George Muller is at many times simply remarkable. The role that the Holy Spirit played was just as notable as his dedication to study and prayer because it was so evident. Starting before Muller’s conversion, the Spirit obtained its grip on him and led him to a gospel meeting, though at the time he could not explain why he wished to go in the first place. After his conversion, he preached his first sermon, though it was through memorization of another man’s work. It felt unnatural to him and he decided to preach the next time from a passage of scripture and surely he would find words to expound upon it. When he did, the Spirit assisted him immediately and the words began to flow from his mouth with such ease that he knew there was no other explanation but divine intervention.

            As Muller’s life pressed on he became more and more humble as a result of his experiences. Because he leaned entirely upon God’s provision and direction he began to see his own insufficiency all the more. He saw himself simply as clay in the Potter’s hands and found it unnerving when his fellow believers averted their gaze from God himself toward His servants. An example of Muller’s humility is the fact that, when his new orphanages opened he made sure that they were not called “Mr. Muller’s” orphanages but rather simply “The New” orphanages, for they were the work of God and he was only a servant through which God did His work.

As illustrated well in this book, George Muller was a true disciple of Jesus. I have been inspired a great deal by the stories recorded of Muller’s life and have been convicted even further that God is sovereign and will transform His people in great ways when they fully submit to His will. As a result, I hope and pray that I will become a true disciple and a powerful tool in God’s hands so that I can bring more glory to Him as He leads me into ministry.

God’s Provision

It sounded too good to be true. I had an opportunity to go to Colorado again this summer and work with another church, this time in Summit County! Better yet, Jordan G. one of my good friends at Harding was going to go with me this time. All we had to do was find jobs in town. He found one. I applied at a couple of different places, but I especially wanted the job with Highside Adventure Tours (HAT) and I soon had a phone interview with them.

            I prayed hard.

            I told God I would use it for His glory.

            I waited.

            After awhile I began to lose hope and started thinking about staying here in Searcy for the summer. I looked for jobs, thought about the people I could minister to, and got comfortable with the idea of staying home. I thought God was trying to get me to realize that there a lot of needs in my own town as well.

            Then yesterday I got a call and was offered the job at HAT! Needless to say, I was ecstatic and immediately began changing my thought process and plans.

            The words of Joe (my mentor in Steamboat Springs, CO) came to mind. “God does not make substitutions” he had said. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?” Matthew 7:7-9. God may answer our prayer by saying “No” or “Not yet” but He never answers our prayer by giving us something other than what we ask for. To use Abraham as an example, he was impatient with God for giving him a son and so he made a substitution for himself by sleeping with Hagar to “fix” the problem. He didn’t realize that the time was not yet right.

            I realized today that I had made the same mistake. I believe God intended for me to go to Colorado this summer all along. I know He has people there in mind for me to reach out to and He has prepared work for me to do. But since I was impatient with God’s plan, I began to look for substitutions, even though I knew in my heart that He would provide. I need to be more patient and trust Him more.

            Lord, increase my Faith!

Confession

There was something that our team hadn’t talked about yet, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Something was missing from our conversations and time together and I longed to know what it was. We had grown together in vision for the future and prayed and worshipped together, but there was an element that was still lacking.

When I asked the question to our team, “What’s missing?” I was excited to hear Allison shout with joy, “Our testimonies!” and I knew that was it. Daniel suggested we share one thing that we have struggled with and have overcome as a result of Christ’s power. 

That was the catalyst that launched us into a very powerful, convicting time of confession. We openly shared our struggles, doubts and fears; many of us for the first time. In doing so, we were edified and became more unified as a team and my heart was filled with joy. We prayed earnestly that we would not give the devil a foothold, but that Christ would conquer. As a result of the whole experience, there were several things that came to light for me…things that became clearer. I would like to share with you the importance of confession. I believe there at least 5 strong reasons why we should be a people that confess to each other:

1. Confession brings healing. When we pray to God about our shortcomings, we know that He forgives us and wipes our sins away and even forgets about them! But we still feel broken. Only when we confess to each other are we truly healed. When a brother knows what we are going through, he can pray for us and that brings healing. When we confess to another person, we let go of it all and are able to be healed. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed…” James 5:16

2. Confession takes away Satan’s power. The first step to overcoming sin is to recognize we are sinful. Acknowledging when we fail is a step in the right direction. Confession is closely related to repentance because when we confess our sins to one another, we do everything we can to become better people. We don’t want the shame anymore. The more you confess the less power Satan has because you are attacking him head on. It shows your awareness of the ways he attacks you and it exposes his schemes and brings light to his flaming arrows.

3. Confession encourages other people because it lets them know they are not alone. Every time we fall short, Satan is right there telling us that we are the only one with that problem and he brings guilt and shame into our heads. He wants us to feel alone because he knows we can’t survive without other Christians. But when someone discloses a sin to us it is so encouraging to find out you are not alone in your struggles. Many times it also causes other people to confess as well! As odd as it may sound, confessing our sins to each other can actually be one of the most edifying things we do as a body of believers.

4. Confession provides accountability. If we don’t tell people what we are struggling with, they won’t know. It’s just that simple. When we are wrestling with sin, people will not be able to help us overcome it unless they know about it. After confessing to people, the fact that they could come up to you later at any time as say “How are you doing with_________?” really helps to curb your behavior away from that sin. You could be asked at any moment and you want to be able to honestly say you are doing well at overcoming it. 

5. And last but not least, confession brings glory to God. Acknowledging that we are weak, He is strong, we cannot overcome without Him, we don’t have the strength to combat Satan, He is the only one who can help us, all have to do with confession and all bring Glory to God. It is very humbling to confess our sins and when we do so, we are imitating Christ’s humility as we are commanded to do in Philippians 2. Is not our number-one purpose as Christians to glorify God?

A Journey Thus Far

I look back and see how God has worked in my life. I experience His sovereignty more and more each day and I eagerly anticipate seeing how this journey will further unfold throughout the rest of my days here on this earth.

My first exposure to missions was when I went on a summer campaign to Brazil for one week. It was the first time I had experienced another culture, seen the work of a missionary firsthand, and studied the Bible with someone. God planted a seed in my heart at that moment and it grew into a desire to advance His kingdom.

When I got to Harding I began to attend Outreach America and began to feel called to domestic missions of some kind. I heard about many people wanting to go to Africa or some other country overseas – places with a completely different culture and language. I knew this was good and worthwhile, but I also knew that some should stay here in this nation as well to start a much needed revival.

For about 18 months now I have had the dream of planting house churches in Denver, Colorado. I am able to relate to the culture, and I absolutely love the climate. For a period of time, I questioned whether this desire was from God or just my human selfishness. Through fervent prayer I told Him that I would go to Colorado unless he clearly called me elsewhere.

From my internship in Colorado last summer I learned a lot about my strengths and weaknesses in ministry and one weakness became especially apparent: I was not a dreamer. All the time I was itching to take initiative and do something, but I had no idea what to do. I began to pray that God would send a visionary partner my way.

God answered that prayer! On March 1^st 2009 I had only my second conversation with Daniel M. and the Holy Spirit brought us together. I was expressing my frustration with not finding many mission minded people who were called to stay in America – Daniel is called to stay in America. I asked him if he saw himself as a visionary person – he said he was and that he had been praying for a partner who is details-oriented! We discussed our dreams for the future and they are definitely congruent with each other. There is no other way to explain this connection except through divine intervention, and I praise God for the ways he works in our lives everyday. His ways are higher than our ways!

Since that day, the team has grown to consist of 3 couples (Daniel and Allison, Jordan and Sarah, and Eric and Laura are hoping to join our team as well) and myself. Daniel is working on a degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and plans to use this to counsel those in the community who are struggling with real life issues. In doing so, he will point them toward Christ – the one true person who can help them overcome their struggles. Allison is getting a degree in dietetics and hopes to minister to those dealing with eating disorders and other diet related concerns, as well as make a difference in a nursing home. Jordan and Sarah are business majors and hope to open up a coffee shop someday. They want to provide a safe and comfortable atmosphere for people of all ages. I am a missions major and desire to form a community of Christians that meet in our homes to worship God and edify each other and spur one another on toward love and good deeds. I also have a passion to mentor those new converts into fully devoted disciples. Who knows who else God may send our way to join our team and work with us!

I am truly thankful for my Lord, and today I can feel his love shining down on me through the sweet sunshine. He has blessed us beyond measure.