Generosity Notes

Few areas of the Christian life can be more frustrating than that of giving. For several years after I met Christ, I struggled with the whole concept of giving and would go to almost any length to avoid it. On a few occasions I found myself in a position in which I felt obligated to give in order to keep up spiritual appearances. I did so, but my heart wasn’t really in it.

My whole perspective changed once I learned what Scripture actually taught. I then had a newly found desire to give, but I was frustrated by another problem: an unlimited number of needs and my limited resources. How could I decide to whom I should give? My local church, the hungry poor, campus and outreach ministries, friends in the missionary field, and many other vital ministries all needed financial support.

We will examine the four elements having to do with giving: attitudes, advantages, amount and approach.

Attitudes in Giving

God’s attitude about giving is best summed up in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” Note the sequence: God gave because He loved. By sending His Son to die on the cross for us, He set the example of giving motivated by love.

The apostle Paul wrote: “If I give all my possessions to feed the poor but do not have love, it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3). It is hard to imagine anything more commendable than giving everything to the poor. But giving with a wrong attitude, without being motivated by love, is of no benefit to the giver.

In God’s economy our attitude is infinitely more important than the amount we give. The spirit is more important than the sum. In fact, God evaluates our actions on the basis of our attitudes.

The Pharisees were fanatically precise about giving. They would calculate the tithe right down to the last mint leaf in their gardens. God, however, looks past the amount of the gift to the heart of the giver. Christ rebuked them for their wrong attitude, saying:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.” (Matthew 23:23).

For giving to be of any value to the giver, it must be done from a heart of love.

Our basis for giving out of a heart filled with love is the recognition that even though our gifts are given through the agency of people and for their benefit, they are actually given to the Lord Himself. An example of this is found in Numbers 18:24: “For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they offer as an offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance.” If giving is merely to a church, a ministry, or a needy person, it is only charity. But if gifts are given to the Lord, they become acts of worship. We have the privilege of expressing our gratefulness and love by giving gifts to our Creator, our Savior and our faithful Provider. When the offering plate is passed, we need to remind ourselves that we are giving our gift to the Lord Himself.

In addition to giving out of a heart filled with love, we are to give cheerfully.

“Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

The original Greek word translated here as “cheerful” is hilaros, from which the English word “hilarious” is derived. We are to be hilarious givers, beside ourselves with glee over the prospect of giving to Christ Himself.

There is usually little hilarity in the pews when the offering plate is passed at church. In fact, the atmosphere often is reminiscent of a patient waiting in the dentist’s chair knowing a painful extraction is about to occur.

How do we develop this hilarity in our giving? Consider the early churches of Macedonia.

“Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality” (2 Corinthians 8:1-2).

How did the Macedonians, who were in terrible circumstances – great affliction and deep poverty – still manage to give with an abundance of joy?The answer is in verse 5: “…they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.” Cheerful giving begins by submitting yourself to Christ. Ask him to direct how much He wants you to give. Only then are you in a position to reap any of the advantages of giving with the proper attitude.

Stop and examine yourself. What is your attitude toward giving?

Advantages of Giving

It is easy to understand how a gift benefits the recipient. The local church continues its ministry, the hungry are fed, the naked are clothed and missionaries are sent. But in God’s economy, a gift given with the proper attitude benefits the giver more than the receiver. “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35). As we examine Scripture, we find that the giver benefits in four significant areas.

An Increase in Intimacy

Above all else, giving directs our attentions and hearts to Christ. Matthew 6:21 tells us, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” This is why it is so necessary to consciously give each gift to the person of Jesus Christ. When you give your gift to Him, your heart will automatically be drawn to the Lord.

An Increase in Character

Our heavenly Father wants us as His children to be conformed to the image of His Son. While humans are by nature selfish, the character of Christ is that of an unselfish giver. By habitually giving, we are continually being conformed to Christ.Someone once said, “Giving is not God’s way of raising money; it is God’s way of raising people into the likeness of His Son.”

An Increase in Heaven

The Lord tells us that there really is something akin to the First National Bank of Heaven. And he wants us to know that we can invest for eternity.

“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20).

Paul also wrote, “Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account” (Philippians 4:17). There is an account for each of us in heaven that we will be privileged to enjoy for eternity. And while it is true that we “can’t take it with us,” Scripture teaches that we can make deposits to our heavenly account before we die.

An Increase on Earth

Some people react to those who teach what I call “giving to get.” You may have heard someone assert that if you give, God will repay you one-hundred fold and you will become rich! Many people have a hard time believing that material blessings flowing back to the giver. Study the passages below.

“There is one, who scatters, yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered” (Proverbs 11:24-25).

“Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully … God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, “He scattered abroad, He gave to the poor, His righteousness abides forever.” Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality” (2 Corinthians 9:6-11).

These verses clearly teach that giving does result in a material increase. Those who give “shall also reap bountifully … always having all sufficiency in everything … may have an abundance … will supply and multiply your seed … you will be enriched in everything.” But note carefully why the Lord is returning an increase materially: “always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed … will supply and multiply your seed for sowing … you will be enriched in everything for all liberality.” As shown in the diagram below, the Lord produces a material increase so that we may give more and have our needs met at the same time.

One reason the Lord reveals that a gift will result in material increase is that He wants us to recognize He is sovereignly behind the multiplication of our seed. God has chosen to be invisible, but He wants us to experience His reality. When we give, we should do so with a sense of expectancy – anticipating the Lord to provide a material increase, even though we do not know when or how the Lord will choose to provide this increase. I know from experience that He can be very creative!

The giver can reap the advantages of giving only when he gives cheerfully out of a heart filled with love, not when the motive of giving is just to get.

Amount to Give

Let’s survey what the Scriptures say about how much to give. Under Old Testament law a tithe (literally, a tenth) was required. The Lord condemns the children of Israel in the Book of Malachi for not tithing properly:

“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, “How have we robbed You?” In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you” (Malachi 3:8-9).

In addition to the tithe, there were various compulsory and free-will offerings. The Lord also made special provision for the needs of the poor. Every seven years all debts were forgiven, every fifty years the land was returned to the original land-owning families, and special rules allowed the poor to glean behind the harvesters and along the edges of the fields.

In the New Testament, the tithe is neither specifically rejected nor specifically recommended. What is clearly taught is that we are to give in proportion to the material blessing we have received. The New Testament also commends sacrificial giving.

What I like about the tithe or any fixed percentage of giving is that it is systematic, and the amount of the gift is easy to compute. On the other hand, the danger of the tithe is that it can be treated as simply another bill to be paid. Tithing with a wrong attitude does not put me in a position to receive the blessings and advantages God has for me.

Another potential danger of tithing is the assumption that once the tithe is given, all my obligations to contribute are fulfilled. For many Christians the tithe should be the beginning of their giving, not the limit. My family is convinced that we should tithe as a minimum and then give over and above the tithe as the Lord prospers or directs us.

Count the Cost

With every investment there are costs: financial cost, time commitments, effort required and sometimes even emotional stress. For example, the purchase of a rental house will require time and effort to lease and maintain. If the tenant is irresponsible, you may have to try to collect rent from someone who does not want to pay – talk about emotions flaring! Before you decide on any investment, carefully consider all the costs.

Approach to Giving

One of the priorities of Paul’s third missionary journey was to take up a collection for the suffering believers in Jerusalem. His advice to the Christians at Corinth was:

“On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come” (1 Corinthians 16:2).

There are several practical principles contained in Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians concerning this collection.

1. Giving should be periodic. “On the first day of every week …” The Lord understands that we need to give frequently and habitually. Giving only once a year as some do is a mistake. We need to give regularly, because we need to be drawn consistently to Christ.

2. Giving should be personal. “Let each one of you …” It is both the responsibility and the privilege of every child of God to give. If you are not yet consistently giving, now is a choice time. While you are a college student adopt this godly habit. The advantages of giving are intended for each person; and to be enjoyed, each individual must participate.

3. Giving should be out of a private deposit. “put aside and save …” Many people have difficulty keeping track of the money they have decided to give. Consider opening a separate checking account (we call ours the “Lords Account”) or setting aside a special envelope into which you deposit the money you intend to give. Then as needs are brought to your attention, you will already have the money set aside to meet those needs.

4. Giving should be a priority. “Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce” (Proverbs 3:9). As soon as we receive any income we should set aside the amount we are going to give. This habit helps us to remember to put Christ first in all we do and defeats the temptation to spend on ourselves the portion we have decided to give.

5. Giving should be premeditated. “Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Our giving should be done prayerfully, exercising the same care in selecting where we are going to give our money as we do when deciding where to invest our money.

6. Giving should be without pride. To experience any of the Lord’s benefits, your giving cannot be motivated out of a desire to impress people.

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. When therefore you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing that your alms may be in secret; and your father who sees in secret will repay you” (Matthew 6:1-4).

Places for Giving

We are instructed in Scripture to give to three entities. The specifics of to whom and in what proportion vary in accordance with God’s personal direction to each believer.

Giving to the Local Church and Christian Ministries

Throughout its pages the Bible teaches us to support the ministry. The Old Testament priesthood was to receive specific support: “And to the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel … in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting” (Numbers 18:21). The New Testament teaching on ministerial support is just as strong. Unfortunately some have wrongly taught that those who are in various forms of Christian ministry should be poor. That position is not scriptural.

“Pastors who do their work well should be paid well and should be highly appreciated, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching” (I Timothy 5:17, 18).

Should you give only to your church. In our case, the answer is no. However, we do recommend giving a minimum of ten percent of your regular income to the church. And we also encourage you to give to others who are directly impacting you and serving in ministries you are passionate about.

“And let the one who is taught the word share all good things with him who teaches” (Galatians 6:6).

Giving to the Family

Our culture is experiencing a tragic breakdown in financial care of the family. Husbands have failed to provide for their wives, parents have neglected their children, and grown sons and daughters have forsaken their elderly parents. Such neglect is solemnly condemned.

“If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever” (I Timothy 5:8).

Meeting the needs of your family and relatives is a priority in giving and one in which there should be no compromise.

Giving to the Poor

Matthew 25 confronts us with one of the most exciting and yet sobering truths in Scripture. Read this passage carefully:

“Then the King will say ‘… For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, saying ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?’ … The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire … For I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink … to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me’” (Matthew 25:34-45).

In some mysterious way we cannot fully comprehend, Jesus, the creator of all things, personally identifies Himself with the poor. When we share with the poor, we are actually sharing with Jesus Himself. And if that truth is staggering, then the reciprocal is terrifying – when we do not give to the poor, we leave Christ Himself hungry and thirsty.

During Christ’s earthly ministry He gave consistently to the poor. It is especially revealing that during the Last Supper, after Jesus told Judas to go and carry out the betrayal, this comment is made:

“Now no one of those reclining at table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. For some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, “Buy thing we have need of for the feast;” or else, that he should give something to the poor” (John 13: 28-29).

Giving to the poor was such a consistent part of Jesus’ life that the disciples assumed that Jesus was sending Judas either to buy food for their own basic needs or to give to the poor – no other alternative entered their minds. It is no wonder that when Paul meets with the disciples to announce his call as a minister to the Gentiles, the disciples affirm his call with this stipulation: “They (The disciples) only asked us to remember the poor – the very thing I also was eager to do” (Galatians 2:10).

Of all the theological issues the disciples could have discussed with Paul, but the only one they mentioned was to remember the poor. Now that should tell us something!

Three areas of our Christian life are affected by giving or lack of giving to the poor:

1. A lack of giving to the poor could be a source of unanswered prayer.

“If this not the fast which I chose… divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into the house … then you will call and the Lord will answer” (Isaiah 58:6-9).

“He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered” (Proverbs 21:13).

2. Our provision is conditioned upon our giving to the needy.

“He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses” (Proverbs 28:27).

3. One who does not share with the poor does not know the Lord intimately.

“‘He pled the cause of the afflicted and the needy; then it was well. Is that not what it means to know Me?’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 22:16).

Giving to the poor has been discouraged in part because of the government’s future with the welfare programs. I believe that primarily it’s the church’s responsibility, not the government’s to meet the needs of the poor. The government usually treats the poor impersonally. The church has the potential to be sensitive to the dignity of the poor. We can also develop one-on-one relationships with the poor to meet their immediate physical needs. Then the church can focus on their longer-term physical and spiritual needs — lovingly training and holding accountable those who are capable of becoming self-supporting.

Please consider asking the Lord to bring one poor person into your life. I pray that you and I might be able to echo Job’s statement:

“I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the orphan who had no helper … I made the widow’s heart sing for joy … I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.I was a father to the needy, and I investigated the case which I did not know” (Job 29:12-16).

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Giving to Secular Charities

Numerous secular charities (such as fraternal orders or organizations formed to conquer various diseases) compete vigorously for our gift dollars. Scripture does not address whether or not we should give to these charities. However, my wife and I have decided not to routinely support these organizations with our gifts. Our reason is that while many people support secular charities, only those who know the Lord support the ministries of Christ. We have occasionally given to secular charities either when the solicitor was a friend we wanted to encourage or influence for Christ, or when we sensed the Lord prompting us to give.