Jesus & Your His Money, Part 9: How Then Shall We Give?
March 28, 2024 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments
Posted in: Pastoral Encouragement
This is the nineth in a series of reflections on Jesus’ teaching about money and wealth in the Gospels. Randy Alcorn, writing in The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving, says, “15 percent of everything Christ said relates to this topic – more than his teachings on heaven and hell combined” (p. 9). How does Jesus want us to think about money? How does the Gospel affect our attitude toward the use of money? Join me on this multi-week exploration of what Jesus teaches about money.
Throughout this series we have been considering Jesus’ and Paul’s teaching on money. While money tends to be a very private matter for most people, both Jesus and Paul speak very directly about money. They emphasize the same principles: 1. Money can easily become the treasure of one’s heart because of the false promises of satisfaction; 2. When money becomes the treasure of one’s heart, it is poisonous to one’s relationship with God; 3. Treasuring God is the antidote to the poison of loving money, as God is the only one who truly satisfies the longings of the heart; 4. Giving away money is not only an indicator of a new heart treasure, but also is a means to wean the heart from loving money; and 5. God promises reward for being generous.
Let’s conclude this series by asking how, then, shall we give? We all appreciate practical pointers to help us put into practice biblical principles. The apostle Paul gives the most direct instruction about giving in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” There are three practices to glean from these verses.
- Give Sacrificially. Paul starts by saying, “The point is this…” He is drawing his practical conclusion from his recounting of the Macedonian church’s giving. We looked at this last week. Paul said in 8:2, “their extreme poverty [has] overflowed in a wealth of generosity…” They did not have much to give, but they gave generously. And then he highlighted Jesus and his sacrifice as a model for our giving (8:9). Now, Paul says “the point of [all] this…” is that we also should give sacrificially. And he gives the promise, “whoever sows bountifully [i.e. give sacrificially; don’t be stingy] will also reap bountifully [i.e. God’s blessings will overflow for the giver].” Therefore, when you give, do not let your personal “needs” dictate what you give. Think about what you can sacrifice from your “needs” in order to give more.
- Give Intentionally. Paul then says, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart…” Giving should not be an afterthought. Giving should not be sporadic. Each of us should prayerfully consider all that God has given us and set apart a portion for the Lord. It is an act of worship, in which we should engage our minds and hearts. If you are married, this should be a matter about which you and your spouse discuss and pray.
- Give Cheerfully. Paul’s last words are, “…not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” This is the practical application of the principle that a heart set free by the delight of knowing God as one’s supreme treasure will be generous. If you love God, if you know God as good and delightful, you will have joy in worshiping God by giving. If you lack joy in giving, it is a warning sign that God is not your greatest treasure. Yes, as your pastor, I am called to “reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Tim. 4:2) in these matters of giving, but that is not putting you under compulsion. My aim is for your joy in the Lord so that you would give cheerfully.
I pray that this series on money and giving has opened your eyes and heart to Jesus’ concern about your money. The statistics on the giving habits of the average church attender in America are not encouraging. Tithers, those who give 10% or more of their income, make up only 10-25% of the average congregation. Giving to the church has dropped by 50% since 1990. 37% of regular church attenders and Evangelicals do not give to the church. The average giving by adults who attend US Protestant churches is about $17 a week.
I don’t know how much Oak Hills aligns with such statistics, but they do give us a window into the world in which we live. The biblical teaching on money and giving is counter cultural. If we are not intentionally, and prayerfully, thinking about and planning how we use our money, we will just get swept up in the stream around us. May we find that our treasure is in God, so our hearts flow with joy in living for God.
