HOW WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

Courtesy Spencer Irvine

YOU can change the world by sponsoring a child!  So exactly what does the phrase SPONSORING A CHILD mean?  In short it is simply providing funds to charitable organizations who provide food, clothing, shelter, education and various services to children who would otherwise have limited access to these basic necessities.

When I recently read economist Bruce Wydick's article "Want To Change The World? Sponsor a Child" in Christianity Today it was never more clear to me why God called my family to sponsor children.  It was not the adorable pictures of the children or the letters of appreciation they send.  Those are nice things.  But the real reason for sponsoring children was Biblical for us and is found in part in the following passages:

1. James 1:27 - "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress:..."
2. Proverbs 19:17 - "Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord..."
3. Deuteronomy 15:11 - Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor..." 

Let me suggest that even if you don't have a relationship with Jesus and the Biblical reasons for child sponsorship don't have application in your life - it's my sincere prayer that they someday will - sponsoring children still makes sense for the Christian and non-Christian alike.  Here's why:

1. You'll feel better inside simply knowing you've helped another human being.  We're all wired with an inherent desire to care for and help others.
2. You won't wind up paying to provide the same services through high levels of taxation when the government steps in and provides the assistance.  Governments are generally proven to be very inefficient and ineffective providers of such services.
3. You will provide basic needs and education for a generation that will be more self sufficient and will create a better world in which you, your children and their children will come to live.

The following organizations are two that we are personally acquainted with and that we sponsor children through.  There are hyperlinks which direct you to their websites where you can find very detailed information on their mission, finances and programs.  Charity Watch at http://www.charitywatch.org/ provides ratings of these two charities as well as many others.  For about a dollar a day the organizations below will see that your charitable, tax deductible donations go a long ways towards changing lives for the better: 



Compassion International

Compassion International - online at http://www.compassion.com/, this organization invests 80 to 85 cents of every dollar donated to life changing programs.  Their commitment to Christ, to Children, to the Church, and to Integrity are unsurpassed.  They serve and make a difference in the lives of some 1.3 Million children around the world. 



 



World Vision

World Vision - online at http://www.worldvision.org/, the folks at World Vision invest 80 to 85 cents of every dollar donated tackling the causes of injustice and poverty.  Serving close to 100 Million people in 100 countries World Vision is making a huge difference in many lives.

I encourage you to read Mr. Wydick's article for a detailed explanation of how Child Sponsorship can change the world.  By sponsoring a child today you can begin to change the future for the next generation and you will be able to show others HOW WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.  Feel free to post a comment and share other ways in which we can work to make the world a better place.