August 6, 2001

EDITORIAL:
Invest tax rebate in eternal causes
___Have you figured out how you're going to spend your tax rebate?
___Here's an idea: Turn your financial bonus into a faithful blessing. Give your rebate to your church or to one of the ministries sponsored by the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
___Just think of the possibilities:
___ This is the perfect occasion to turn an economic windfall into an eternal witness.
___Don't kid yourself; the U.S. government isn't giving you this money out of the goodness of its collective heart. Of course, politicians love making folks think they're giving them something for nothing. But economists backed the tax rebate because they think American consumers will spend more, thus sparking the economy. That's not such a bad idea, economically thinking. However, eternalists see a grander opportunity.
___If you buy a new washer, and your neighbor buys a new TV, and the folks down the street buy a new set of tires, and every neighborhood in America is like yours, then all that purchasing will create jobs and boost the stock market, and on and on, economically speaking. But if you help start a Hispanic church along the Rio Grande, and someone else in your Sunday School class helps provide adoption services and someone else helps train a young minister, and every Texas Baptist church responds as yours does, then lives and families and all eternity will be changed, thanks to your tax rebate.
___ This is a great chance to put your money where your mouth is--without biting off more than you can chew.
___When you read a story about Texas Baptist disaster relief in the Baptist Standard, or you hear a mission report on Sunday evening, or you discuss the importance of providing care for special-needs adults, you're moved with compassion. You say, "We need to help these people" or, "Let's help share the gospel with those people." Well, now may be your one chance in a lifetime to give a significant gift to strengthen a ministry without crunching your own budget. When you shouted, "Happy New Year!" you had no idea you'd receive an extra $300 or $600 before the end of the year. It's almost like free money. No budget, no constraints. You didn't plan to have it anyway, and you won't miss it. So, invest it in the kingdom of God. No pain; great gain.
___ This is a terrific time to turn a tiny trickle back into a raging river.
___When all those tax funds were piled up together, they amounted to serious money. But let's face reality, $300 or $600 isn't enough to change your lifestyle. On the other hand, if Texas Baptists decide to pile our rebates back together, they could amount to really serious money again. If we were to combine our gifts and support BGCT causes, we could in this year provide funding that could help turn the corner for vital human welfare, educational, and missions and ministries efforts across the state. It's the power of multiplication--consecrated for holy causes.
___ This is a divine opportunity to earn a spiritual return on a financial investment.
___You won't read any "health-and-wealth" theology here. But you can rest assured that if you are faithful to return to the Lord the bounty of this tax rebate, entrusting it into God's hands for ministry, you will experience a spiritual blessing. You'll understand the peace that comes from knowing you have been faithful, and God will honor that by blessing people with the good news of the gospel, the healing touch of caring hands, the enlightening vision of compassionate souls, the redemptive word of sensitive voices.
___ As an added bonus, this is a special event when you can glorify God and also wave Old Glory.
___President Bush launched his faith-based initiatives program as an attempt to strengthen the work of social service ministries nationwide. But the tax-incentives proposal failed to develop, and the overall plan may not pass the Senate. Still, people of faith can help fund their own initiatives by investing their tax rebates in the cause they hold dearest--doing the Lord's work for the glory of God.
___So, turn that rebate over to the Lord. Your money can't possibly earn a greater, more everlasting return on investment.
___ Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com


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