Ponder, Then Dare - Ida Scudder

1870–1960

Ida Scudder made things happen. Moved by the medical needs of India’s women, she got trained as a doctor. She also built a hospital. It turned out that she was a pretty good fund-raiser, setting high goals and working hard to reach them. She was never shy about asking for money, and as a result her hospital project (and the medical college that followed) received donations small and great.

Did we mention that this project began when she was just in her twenties? It’s not unusual to see naive confidence in someone so young; it’s rare to find such wisdom.

Ida was both practical and rich in faith. She wrote:

First ponder, then dare. Know your facts. Count the cost. Money is not the most important thing. What you are building is not a medical school. It is the kingdom of God. Don’t err on the side of being too small. If this is the will of God that we should keep the college open, it has to be done.

We need more of that combination of practicality and faith these days. Some Christian leaders follow impossible dreams with a reckless bravado. Others reduce ministry to budget proposals, measuring God’s leading by its effect on the bottom line. We need to ponder first, and then dare.

The Kingdom of God is not about money. Sadly, some churches have gained a reputation as cash-mad enterprises. Aren’t we always begging for donations? Here’s where we need Ida’s reminder that, whatever we’re raising money for, it’s far more than a building, a program, or a utility bill. It’s God’s Kingdom. That has several major implications. As Ida notes, we don’t want to set our sights “too small.” But we also want to observe godly principles in our fund-raising efforts—no manipulation of data, no coercion, no deceit. It makes no sense to try building God’s Kingdom with worldly methods. We can trust him to tug at donors’ heartstrings in appropriate ways.

So take a moment to ponder the possibilities of your own life. How are you building the Kingdom of God? And what practical aspects come into play? Your family? Your home? Your income? Your savings? Your education? What sort of “dare” is God giving you?

Don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?

Luke 14:28