Funding Your Purpose: Part 2, Side Hustle for Jesus

In a world that often feels marked by scarcity and struggle, it can be challenging to trust in God’s abundance. Yet Scripture teaches us that our Creator is a generous host who has provided enough for everyone. The problem isn’t a lack of resources—it’s our mindset that God can’t be trusted to provide.

Many have heard TV preachers promise extraordinary financial returns—”sow a Toyota, reap a Ferrari”—but this distorts the biblical principle of sowing and reaping. While Jesus did speak of seeds producing thirty, sixty, or even a hundredfold return in the parable of the sower, He was primarily talking about the Word of God, not money.

The principle of sowing and reaping is absolutely biblical, but the purpose behind it matters. The problem with prosperity theology is that it treats God like a divine vending machine—put in your seed money, get your miracle. But Scripture calls us to do the opposite: to use money to serve God, not use God to get money.

Jesus actually warns against relying on sowing and reaping to meet our needs. In Matthew 6:26, He points to the birds who “neither sow nor reap” yet are fed by their heavenly Father. Our needs are met not because of how much we give, but because we have a caring Father.

So why do we sow financially? It’s not about funding our comfort—it’s about funding our calling. When we understand that everything belongs to God and we’re merely managers, our goal shifts from making a living to making an impact.

The key question isn’t how much money you have, but how much it has you. When your heart belongs fully to God, He can trust you with whatever amount He chooses to place in your hands. This is why tithing exists—not because God needs our money, but because it reminds our hearts that everything we have belongs to Him.

Think of it this way: if someone gave you a business to manage and only asked for 10% of the profits back, you’d understand that it’s not your business. That’s exactly what God has done with our lives and resources.

Jesus taught that “whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (Luke 16:10). Money is the “little thing”—it’s spiritual kindergarten. If God can trust you with finances, then He’ll trust you with true riches: greater faith, miracles, ministries, and movements.

We see this principle in the story of the rich young ruler who walked away sad because he valued his possessions more than following Jesus. In contrast, Peter and the disciples left everything and received Jesus’s promise of a hundredfold return—not as a business transaction, but as a reward for wholehearted devotion.

Isaiah 55:10-11 reveals that God provides two things: “seed for the sower and bread for the eater.” Bread represents what we consume for our daily needs, while seed represents what we invest in God’s kingdom. The key is asking God to show you what’s seed and what’s bread in your life.

If you eat your seed, you’ll have no harvest. If you plant your bread, you’ll go hungry. Many times God gives us resources not for our consumption but for investment in His kingdom’s multiplication.

One of the biggest enemies of generosity is lifestyle creep—when things we once saw as luxuries become necessities. In the 1950s, the average American home was 933 square feet for 3.3 people. Today, families are smaller (2.5 people) but homes are over 2,400 square feet.

Every time God increases our income, we face a choice: Will we increase our lifestyle or increase our impact? What if instead of automatically upgrading our standard of living, we saw raises and bonuses as “seed for the sower”—resources meant to expand our capacity to invest in God’s kingdom?

There are two primary ways to sow our resources. When we give, we’re sowing spiritual seed and storing treasure in heaven. When we invest wisely, we’re sowing natural resources that God can multiply for future kingdom purposes.

God promises to bless “the work of your hands” (Deuteronomy 28:8, 12). This means He blesses what you actively engage in, not what you passively wish for. Some people are asking God to bless their couch instead of their calling.

Consider starting what could be called a “side hustle for Jesus”—a project dedicated entirely to funding God’s kingdom. This could be baking, tutoring, crafts, online business, or any skill you can monetize with the proceeds going to ministry.

William Carey, the father of modern missions, exemplified this principle. Though a cobbler by trade, he said, “I cobble shoes to pay expenses, but soul winning is my real business.” He funded 41 years of missionary work through his business ventures while translating the Bible into dozens of languages.

The goal isn’t to get rich—it’s to get faithful. You’re declaring that everything God puts in your hands will be used to fund His purposes.

Your project doesn’t need to be elaborate. Remember the boy with five loaves and two fish—he simply offered what he had, and Jesus multiplied it. The point isn’t necessarily to generate large amounts, but to experience how God can bless what we fully dedicate to Him.

Choose a project that grabs your heart and commit the proceeds to a ministry or cause you believe in. Set a specific timeframe—perhaps dedicating everything earned in the first year to God’s work.

This week, challenge yourself to identify what God has placed in your hands that could be “seed for the sower.” Ask Him to show you the difference between what’s meant for consumption (bread) and what’s meant for investment (seed) in your current resources.

Consider starting a side project—however small—that you can dedicate entirely to funding God’s kingdom. This isn’t about adding stress to your life, but about experiencing God’s faithfulness when we trust Him with our resources.

Ask yourself these questions:

Remember, we don’t need more millionaires in the church—we need more faithful managers who see every dollar, talent, and hour as a tool for God’s mission. When you put your seed in His hands, He’ll multiply it for His purposes and glory.