0
0
Young girl with long blonde hair wearing a striped yellow and black shirt shrugs her shoulders with a confused expression. The text reads, “Joshua 3:3-4” and “That Feeling of Vujà De” on a solid blue background.
Fundraising Verse of the Week

That Feeling of Vujà De

“When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before.” (Joshua 3:3-4)

Déjà vu is a French term for the intuitive feeling you have when you see or experience something familiar—like you’ve already seen or experienced it before. Organizational guru, Karl Weick describes Vujà De as the opposite feeling, “I’ve never been here before, I have no idea where I am, and I have no idea who can help me.” Feeling like you don’t know what you’re doing is one of the most frustrating feelings in the world. Joshua must have felt this as he prepared to enter the Promised Land. His mentor, Moses, was gone and the Lord chose him to lead Israel into the Promised Land. Perhaps God is calling you to a new ministry or to lead your current ministry into uncharted territory. Learn these three lessons from Joshua.

I’ve Never Been Here Before
You may be a rookie with no prior experience to draw on for your new assignment, or you may be a veteran with years of battle scars. Either way you must view your opportunity with fresh eyes. Some people boast of their fundraising experiences saying, “I have twenty years in development.” While this may be true, consider your new opportunity a chance to walk by faith, not to replay the greatest hits of the past. Determine to learn and grow personally and professionally through each new challenge.

I Have No Idea Where I Am
In the dark ages before GPS, we used to print off donor trip itineraries. These pre-phone maps would show your destination, but not where you were. Now, the little blue dot pinpoints your location. The same is true when it comes to your fundraising strategies. We know what the final goal is, but we are not sure where we are or what next steps to take. Consider conducting a development audit to assess your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges to get an accurate understanding of where you are currently.

I Have No Idea Who Can Help Me
Joshua didn’t have Karl Weick’s problem of not knowing who could help. The Lord had promised to help him, “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Josh. 1:5). The Lord also promises to be with you as you start your new ministry. Solomon taught, “Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance” (Prov. 20:18). As you begin your new assignment, seek the counsel of a trusted friend, another ministry colleague, or a fundraising professional. You’ll be glad you did.

Think About This: Are you trusting in my fundraising experience to bring you success, or are you trusting in God? Who will receive glory if you succeed?

Response: Father, I’m facing something I’ve never faced before. I praise you for being in complete control. Please help me trust you and not my own understanding.

A man in a white t-shirt covers his ears with his hands, expressing frustration, against a bright yellow background. The text reads "Ignoring Fundraising Critics" and "Ecclesiastes 7:21-22," emphasizing the theme of overcoming criticism in the context of fundraising.
Fundraising Verse of the Week

Ignoring Fundraising Critics

“Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you— for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.” Ecclesiastes 7:21-22

Charles Spurgeon lectured this text to his preaching students with the catchy title, “A Blind Eye and a Deaf Ear.” His application was to not let undue criticism discourage them from doing their work. You can spend a lot of emotional energy trying to please critics when you would be much better off focusing on things that really matter. Critics come in all shapes and sizes and have different motives. Here are four:

Hostile Critics
Nehemiah had his share of critics to deal with. Sanballat mocked him like a middle schooler, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day?” (Neh. 4:2). Tobiah added his zinger, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!” (Neh. 4:3). Ouch! Nehemiah ignored them and just kept working. Perhaps you have opponents who don’t want you to succeed and criticize everything you do. Use your deaf ear and keep working.

Naïve Critics
When it comes to fundraising, everyone has an idea. A board member shared his sage advice, “What you need to do is find 10,000 people to give us $100.” It might seem like a good strategy and good math because, theoretically, his plan would raise $1 million. However, his plan had two flaws: (1) the campaign goal was $3 million and, (2) the entire town’s population was only 12,000. Campaigns aren’t built from the ground up but from the top-down. All successful campaigns start with leadership gifts to build momentum.

Foolish Critics
Not every critic is an enemy; some are just foolish. Mark Twain remarked, “Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.” Solomon wrote two interesting back-to-back proverbs, “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him” (Prov. 26:4) and “Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes” (Prov. 26:5). So, which is it? Answer a critic or ignore them? The Spirit can give you wisdom for the right response in the right situation.

Friendly Critics
Spurgeon’s message was about turning a deaf ear, not both ears. A wise person listens to a friend offering constructive criticism. “Wounds from a friend can be trusted” (Prov. 27:6). We often react negatively when someone shares something we don’t want to hear. Our natural self wants to save face, but we must learn to receive criticism graciously. Listen carefully. Ask clarifying questions. Thank your friend for their honesty and take time to reflect on what they shared.

Think About This: Solomon’s main argument for ignoring your critics is to remember, “for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others” (Eccl. 7:22). We all need forgiveness for judging others.

Response: Father, please forgive me for the times I’ve criticized others. Help me always speak “only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Eph. 4:29).

Cart Overview