How Shall We Give?
Giving: A Dynamic of the Christian Life
by Dr. Ken Matto
(Psa 81:10 KJV) I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee
out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
The Christian dynamic of giving has been so muddied by
the church that instead of it being a part of worship as it should be, it
becomes a "calculating event." Have you ever heard the following in reference to
giving?
Do I give 10%?
Do I tithe on the Gross?
Do I tithe on the Net?
Is tithing a New Testament Principle?
Is tithing demanded by God?
If we are under grace, why do we have to tithe?
I am sure that we all have heard these things. Depending
on the church you attend, you will continue to hear these debates about giving.
Giving is a great part of the Great Commission. It funds the going forth of
world missions. However, keep in mind that if God is calling you to the mission
field, then giving money to missions in lieu of going yourself is unacceptable
and you will not get away with it. (He who has ears to hear)
That was an aside yet it is a very important subject
concerning giving to missions. That is what this study is all about. I hope to
clear up some confusion about giving because I see it is a great dynamic in the
Christian walk. Let me share a personal incident with you which happened because
of God's faithfulness to His word when we give. Some time ago I received a
letter from one of my favorite ministries which was $30,000 behind in bills. I
remember I had $2,000 in a savings account. The Lord had laid upon my heart to
give $1,000 to this ministry. So I did it and shortly thereafter, a relative of
mine gave me about $2,500 in Savings Bonds in face value she was saving for me
since 1954. I took them to the bank and cashed them in. The total came out to
about $5,500. God had graciously and faithfully kept His Word concerning the
promises of giving. I have another personal giving incident which I will share
later in the study.
Remember the verse which I started this study with? Psalm
81:10. The question is, how wide are you willing to open your mouth so the Lord
can fill it? This simply means, are you willing to take God at His Word and
trust Him by giving generously (open wide) or to be stingy and give little (open
slightly). I also have a stingy story too but I will tell that one here.
I have a friend which I have known since 1981 and we had
gone to many Bible Conferences together, in fact we were room mates in many of
them. Not long after I got to know him, I started seeing a pattern in his life
which confused me. This man would devise every excuse to avoid giving to the
Lord's Work. Whenever they passed the plate, he would shuffle through all the
large bills in his wallet and take out two singles for the collection plate. His
favorite saying was "I can't give anything right now." The problem was that
almost every time was "right now."
I went to visit him at his home and realized why he
complained about having to pay many bills and why he couldn't give "right now."
He was extremely materialistic and self-centered. He would buy gadgets for
himself valued in the area of thousands of dollars plus he was hoarding gold and
using "his retirement" as his excuse for not giving. He had 2 safe deposit boxes
loaded with gold and stocks of companies like Exxon where he would get a big
dividend check 4 times a year.
His stinginess and greed continued to escalate in his
life until he was conned into buying some objects of art and he went into debt
about $200,000. After he did this, his whole financial world came crashing down.
He had to file for bankruptcy plus he had to liquidate his stocks and all his
gold. Today he drives a school bus for $9 an hour. He has no retirement money at
age 55. Now he can legitimately say "I can't give anything right now." Was it
worth it? The Bible teaches we will reap what we sow. Did he go bankrupt because
God wanted his money? The answer is no as this man was deceitful in his handling
of money. He literally lied about his ability to give.
If you have much money, do not test God by lying about it
because you can wind up bankrupt like this man. If you have little money, then
give what you can. It was John Wesley who said:
Make all you can!
Save all you can!
Give all you can!
Basically what Wesley was saying is there must be balance
in the Christian financial walk. God does not expect you to place your whole pay
in the collection plate because He knows there are legitimate living expenses
and emergencies which arise. Please keep this principle in mind:
God will never use your money as an instrument to
entrap you but He will use it to test your faithfulness to Him.
Let us now attend to the words of Scripture which God
gives that deal with the subject of giving. We will look at 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
as our starting point and then we will expand the study to many different verses
which detail the dynamic of giving:
(2 Cor 9:6-15 KJV) But this I say, He which soweth
sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap
also bountifully. {7} Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let
him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. {8}
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all
sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: {9} (As it is
written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness
remaineth for ever. {10} Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister
bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of
your righteousness;) {11} Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness,
which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. {12} For the administration of
this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by
many thanksgivings unto God; {13} Whiles by the experiment of this ministration
they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and
for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; {14} And by their
prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. {15}
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
We are going to primarily focus on verses 6-8 but I
wanted to include the entire context.
Verses 6-8 Contain Three Principles of Godly Giving
Vs 6 - PRINCIPLE OF SOWING
Vs 7 - PRINCIPLE OF ATTITUDE
Vs 8 - PRINCIPLE OF RETURN
Vs 6 - Principle of Sowing
Not Health, Wealth, Name it and Claim it
One of the key principles of giving is to realize that it
is not health, wealth, name it and claim it. We do not give God $10 and then
hold out our hands and expect to get $100. A blessing for giving may not come
for years or it may come immediately. We give because we love God and want to
send forth the gospel, not to further our own interests. Our responsibility is
to be faithful in giving and leave the blessings to God.
Bountiful Giving
Another key principle of giving is bountiful giving. If
we are to reap bountifully , the we are to sow bountifully. The Greek word in Vs
6 for "bountiful" is "eulogias" or "eulogias" which means "blessings."
Literally, it states if you sow blessings you will reap blessings. There is
hardly any blessings in being cheap. How many blessings do you gather from cheap
people?
According to What One Has
(Deu 16:17 KJV) Every man shall give as he is able,
according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.
God has set different economic standards for each
Christian. One Christian may make one deal and make millions while another one
may never make more than $200 per week for their entire life. Why this seeming
great imbalance? All I know is that God sets the economic pattern for each
Christian with perfect knowledge. The Bible tells us that each Christian is to
give according to what God has supplied in your life. God does not expect you to
give as much as a millionaire can give.
In other words, if you don't have it to give, God is not
forcing you to use your credit card to make a donation. Sometimes the person who
has the lesser amount of money gives more. How? A cheap millionaire earns one
million dollars per year and gives $10,000 to his church, which equals 1%. The
person making $10,000 per year gives $1,000, which equals 10%. So who gave the
most? In the eyes of the world, the millionaire but in the eyes of God and in
simple mathematics, the person who gave the $1,000. So who sowed the blessings?
Let me encourage you who read this. I have several millionaires in my extended
family and they don't even want to know my name. They have done nothing to help
me send forth the gospel. It was the poor people who helped when needed.
Millionaires give to organizations where they can gain control and gain monetary
advantage. I have yet to meet one who gives in secret.
Scattering
(Prov 11:24 KJV) There is that scattereth, and yet
increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to
poverty.
Scattering is another principle of giving. Many pastors
teach that you need to bring your entire giving or just your tithe into the
storehouse which they teach is the local church (I will address this later). A
better principle of giving is to scatter your giving. The word "scattereth" in
our verse simply means to "disperse abroad." Basically this verse is telling us
that centralized giving is not the only way to give. God tells us to scatter or
divide our giving when there is need in different areas. Remember when I said
about the "Where needed most" box on the reply form? Well here is where it can
apply. Giving in different areas is as biblical as putting the entire amount in
the collection plate, which is not wrong provided your church is dispersing it
properly.
You may have $50 to give each week so instead of giving
it to one place you may send $20 to missions; $15 to radio ministry; and $15 for
your church. You are being biblical because you are dispersing the money for the
kingdom. The second part of this verse tells of a person who refuses to give and
will end up in poverty. Remember my cheap friend? He ended up in financial
poverty. A person who is cheap with the Lord's money is also revealing spiritual
poverty. If a person refuses to give to the Lord's work, then they are exuding a
certain uselessness in other areas too.
Cast upon the Water
(Eccl 11:1 KJV) Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou
shalt find it after many days.
This verse carries the same principle as proverbs 11:24
but I do not want to focus on that. I want to focus on the verb "Cast" which is
a Piel verb which shows an intense or intentional action. Giving should be an
intentional and intense action on the part of a Christian. One need not have the
gift of giving to send forth the gospel. Giving to God's work should be a
budgeted item akin to savings. We should not have the attitude of "oh here comes
the plate let me give $5." If that is all you can afford then give it, but if
you can afford more, then intentionally budget it to give. When I was out in
industry, giving was part of my budget. I learned early in my Christian walk
about the benefits of giving.
Let me give you another praise example of how God
faithfully keeps His word. Keep in mind the following verse as I tell you this
story. (Isa 55:8 KJV) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your
ways my ways, saith the LORD.
In February of 1998 I was laid off from a $30,000 per
year job. My unemployment ran out at the end of August. I obtained a temporary
full time job shuttling cars for Avis. My average take home pay is about $180.
My car needed about $2,000 worth of repairs on it which included a new engine.
Keep in mind I have to live on that small amount so saving any substantial
amount is out of the question at this time. I was with another driver at our
Cranford, NJ station and spotted a car which was being sold for $1200. The body
was in excellent shape and the engine ran well. It had 81,000 miles on it (my
old car had 156,500). I told the fellow at the station that if the owner would
take $1,000 for it, I would buy it. She took the $1,000 and had a car in decent
shape.
God allowed me to lose a good paying job, plus I was now
2 months past my last unemployment check, now with a job paying about 60% of
what I was getting on unemployment, and it was at that time that God got me that
car. I was able to afford the $1,000 with no problem. Oh, the car was fully
loaded! Here is the principle I want to bring forth. If you are faithful in
giving, then God is faithful in giving! Learn this well - YOU CAN'T OUTGIVE THE
LORD!
Secret Giving
(Mat 6:3) But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand
know what thy right hand doeth:
Giving just to get a tax deductible receipt is not
giving. Giving, no matter how secret, is giving. God sees openly every time you
give in secret. There may be people in your own church who need help. They are a
mission field too. Some people adopt the idea that if their money is not going
to the mission field, then it is not giving. Let me give you a principle to live
by. A Christian in your congregation who has financial needs should be just as
much a recipient of funds as a missionary organization or church.
I believe God allows certain Christians in a local
congregation to have financial needs so it can be a testing ground for others in
the congregation to see how they will respond to their needs. (1 John 3:17-18
KJV) But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and
shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God
in him? {18} My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but
in deed and in truth.
If you have someone in your congregation that has need
and you know about it and have the finances to bring some relief, then do it.
You will be blessed by the Lord because the parameters of giving are not
rigorously defined in Scripture. In other words-Meet Legitimate Needs
when you can but don't advertise it. The desire to advertise your good deed may
be a testing ground for you. Pass or Fail?
Regular Giving
(1 Cor 16:2 KJV) Upon the first day of the week let every
one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no
gatherings when I come.
Here God tells us that not only should our giving be in
secret or intentional but it needs to be a systematic giving. Do not wait till
you get some set amount saved to give. You should give on a weekly, monthly, or
some methodical fashion. Sometimes if we save to give a large amount, if a bill
arises guess which part of the budget will get tapped for it? You guesssssed it,
money slated for sending forth of the gospel.
Vs 7 - Principle of Attitude
(2 Cor 9:7 KJV) Every man according as he purposeth in
his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a
cheerful giver.
Not grudgingly
This word literally means "sorrow, sadness, pain of mind
or body." If someone has to grudgingly put $10 in the plate, then don't do it.
God can make the $5 of the willing giver go farther than the $10 of the grudging
giver. If you hate to part with your money, then don't fake altruism in church
just to show someone you give. God reads the heart and if giving causes you
sorrow, then keep it. God will get it anyway. Did you ever hear of car problems,
house problems, medical problems, dental problems, bank failures, stock market
crashes or corrections? God can protect the finances of a willing giver but the
grudging giver is on his own.
How much do I trust God? Am I willing to commit my funds
to His work and His keeping? Or do I think I can do a better job? Ask yourself
the question, if I cannot trust God with money then how can I trust Him for
eternal salvation? One of the great dynamics of the Christian Faith is the
willingness to trust God with all my possessions.
Purposeth
The word "purposeth" is a middle voice verb which means
"decide." A person who decides can go either way. God expects each Christian to
decide in his or her heart to do the right thing. If you purpose to give, then
you will give with joy but if you purpose not to give, then just to join the
crowd you will give with a grudging or with an unholy spirit toward giving. The
decision for giving should have been made way before Sunday rolls around. If you
wait till Sunday to see how much you have left over to give, then you are a
grudging giver which is an ungodly attitude
A Willing Mind
(2 Cor 8:12) For if there be first a willing mind, it is
accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
The words "willing mind" may also be translated
"readiness." We should always have a ready mind when it comes to giving. We need
to be ready to respond to those persons or ministries that have need. Notice in
this verse God carries a principle from Deuteronomy 16:17. God does not place
any unreachable burden on any Christian. He simply expects us to give according
to what he has supplied to a person. Let me just reiterate what I said
previously, God does not expect us to give on credit or way above what we can
afford. If God has you earning a certain amount, then do not give above what you
can "joyously" afford or else it may become grudge giving. If all you can afford
to give is $5, then give it and do not be ashamed. God can do much with a small
offering when given in the right spirit.
Keep in mind what the Lord did with the loaves and
fishes. He took a minimal offering and turned it into a massive distribution. He
will do this with any small offering. Does $1 sound like a small offering? Sure
it does, but World Missionary Press in Indiana can print 27 Bible tracts for
that amount. Now give $5 to MP, and you have 135 tracts. Now give $10 to MP and
you have 270 tracts. 270 tracts sometimes may be enough to evangelize an entire
small village in another country. Still think $10 a month is an ineffective
amount to give? Don't let Satan deceive you in thinking that way.
Stewardship Requirement
(1 Cor 4:1-2 KJV) Let a man so account of us, as of the
ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. {2} Moreover it is
required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
One thing we Christians must keep in mind is that we are
stewards and not owners. If we owned everything we had then how come we cannot
take it with us? Everything we have has been given to us by God and is on loan.
This is why I cannot figure out why some Christians are cheap with the Lord's
money. They act like it is theirs. As a steward we must keep in mind that we are
not owners, we act on behalf of the owner of the goods. If God gives wealth to a
Christian, it is not so they can buy a big house with a pool and 2 BMW's (Big
Money Wasters). They have it so they can dispense it as there is
need.
The problem is that many clergy and church leaders bow
the knee to wealthy Christians not realizing that if they are hoarding it or are
cheap with it they are in rebellion to God. Rebellion to God is not always
visible sin like drinking highballs or 6 packs of beer, it is also being
tightfisted with God's money. Let's make a social comparison to illustrate this
principle. Can you picture a slave in Roman times taking his master's money and
building a big house with 2 gold chariots in the driveway for himself and when
the master needed to distribute some money, the slave refusing to do it? Have
you ever heard of the chopping block? That slave would be executed in a minute
as a rebellious slave. Where do we Christians get off thinking in that same
rebellious manner concerning the money God has entrusted to us? Think about it!
Maybe this is why God has executed your finances, because you were an unfaithful
steward.
Gift of Giving
(Rom 12:8 KJV) Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation:
he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with
diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.
The person with the gift of giving, lives to give. If a
person gives a regular tithe or offering, this does not mean a person has the
gift of giving. The one who has the gift of giving seeks opportunities to give.
They look for ways to support the gospel. They will even help out brethren who
are in dire financial circumstances. Usually those with the gift of giving have
the ability to make a good income so they can continue to give. These people
also encourage others to put their money in forwarding the gospel. These people
are not stingy with God's money since they have been empowered, through their
spiritual gift, to give with joy. The word "simplicity" carries with it the
meaning of "generosity and purity." In other words, there is pure motive in
giving.
Faithful in Least
(Luke 16:9-11 KJV) And I say unto you, Make to yourselves
friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive
you into everlasting habitations. {10} He that is faithful in that which is
least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust
also in much. {11} If therefore ye have not been faithful in the
unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
Here God makes a simple comparison. If you are too stingy
to give money to God's work, then how can God trust you with the words of
eternal life. In other words, you will be unfaithful in the ministry. Giving
money is the easiest thing to do yet it is the hardest for most Christians to
do. If we are too cheap to give to God's work, then how can we expect Him to
place us in the ministry? Have you ever had a test like the following which I
have faced many times. I have gone into gas stations with my employer's vehicles
and filled them up and have requested a receipt. Some attendants have made them
out for more than I paid. I could turn them in to my employer and he would never
know the difference. That is the principle, unfaithful in little, you will be
unfaithful in much. Faithful in little, you will be faithful in much. Do you
have young children? Have you taught them to put even a nickel in the plate or
maybe only 2¢. The amount does not matter but they would be in training to be
faithful in little, so they can be faithful in much later on.
Vs 8 - Principle of Return
(2 Cor 9:8 KJV) And God is able to make all grace abound
toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to
every good work:
One thing we can count on is the faithfulness of God in
all areas of life and not just finances. There is a principle of return
associated with giving. I must tell you that the return may not come when you
expect it, rather it may come when you need it or unexpectedly. The following
verses will help us look at the principle of return for faithful giving.
How Wide Will We Open?
(Psa 81:10-11 KJV) I am the LORD thy God, which brought
thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. {11} But
my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.
Remember our opening verse. God will bless according to
how much we trust Him with the finances He has entrusted to us. I am not
speaking of name it and claim it, rather I am speaking of pure giving motives.
If God sees little faith in the area of finances (closed mouth) there will be
little blessing. If God sees big faith in the area of finances (wide open mouth)
then there will be an abundant blessing. I believe God blesses us according to
our attitude of the gift and not toward the amount given. Man looks on the
outward but God looks on the inward.
Generous Soul Blessed
(Prov 11:25-26 KJV) The liberal soul shall be
made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. {26} He
that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon
the head of him that selleth it.
The word "liberal" carries with it the meaning of
"bless." Basically the Bible is saying that the soul that blesses others will be
made fat. "Fat" means to be satisfied or anointed. Here is a great principle
that when one is faithful in giving or blessing others they shall be satisfied.
(Psa 22:26 KJV) The meek shall eat and be satisfied:
they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
(Psa 37:19 KJV) They shall not be ashamed in the evil
time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
(Psa 63:5 KJV) My soul shall be satisfied as with
marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
As we jump back to our verse Proverbs 11:26. Notice God
says that those who withhold will be cursed. Remember my cheap friend? Would you
say what happened to him was a curse by God upon his finances and his attitude?
I surely would. What about cheap Christians in your church? How well are they
loved for their cheapness? There are only 2 kinds of people who like cheap
people:
A. Another cheap person
B. Relatives who are in the cheap person's will
Will Be Repaid
(Prov 19:17 KJV) He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth
unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
Here is another principle of giving. When we give to the
poor, and let us define who the poor is. The poor are those who are unsaved.
When we send forth the gospel, we are reaching those who are spiritually poor
and if they are God's elect and become saved, then they are rich. God is saying
that when we give to His work, we are lending unto the Lord and we will receive
blessing at some time in the future. Let me also add that helping those who are
poor in material goods of this world is not an unbiblical act unless it begins
to siphon off the money intended to send forth the gospel. We are not commanded
to feed the poor with physical food but we are commanded to feed the poor
spiritual food. The Great Commission is intended to further the gospel but if a
meal comes with it, that's okay too.
Blessings
(Prov 22:9 KJV) He that hath a bountiful eye shall be
blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
The word "bountiful" carries with it the meaning of
"cheerful, good or goodly." The person which makes their goods and money
available for the Lord's work shall be blessed. Notice the word "shall" be
blessed. There is no getting around it, those who give will be a blessed people.
Treated Generously
(Isa 32:8 KJV) But the liberal deviseth liberal things;
and by liberal things shall he stand.
The word liberal here means "generous" and carries with
it the meaning that those who are generous with the Lord's money, will be
treated generously.
The Size of the Windows are Proportionate
(Mal 3:10 KJV) Bring ye all the tithes into the
storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now
herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven,
and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
This verse is the most famous verse in the Bible
concerning tithing. I think it is preached on by every preacher in a stewardship
message. There is much meat in this verse and I think it behooves us to
investigate it.
A. Tithes
Many preachers stress tithing as a mandatory part of the
believer’s life. I do not believe this but they are on the right track as the
tithe is a great level to begin programmed giving. Before the Sinai law was
given there was tithing by two great patriarchs:
Jacob
(Gen 28:22 KJV) And this stone, which I have set for a
pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will
surely give the tenth unto thee.
Abraham
(Heb 7:2 KJV) To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part
of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that
also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
So we see that a tithe was given unto God not out of
compulsion but because of the love these two patriarchs had for God. It was
after the law was given at Sinai that God became specific as to what was to be
given and how much as we see in Leviticus 27:32.
(Lev 27:32 KJV) And concerning the tithe of the herd,
or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall
be holy unto the LORD.
Tithing is not commanded under the laws of the New
Testament concerning the church, yet, we give because we love God and want to
see the gospel spread throughout the whole world. If we give ten percent and
stop there while possessing the ability to give more, then we have not grasped
the dynamic and blessing filled principle of giving.
B. Storehouse
When we look at the storehouse, we see that this is
referring to the temple which was the center of worship for Israel. Since there
is no more central temple worship akin to that of ancient Israel, we must search
the Bible and ask what our temple is and then we will find out what our
storehouse is. We read the following:
(1 Cor 3:16 KJV) Know ye not that ye are the temple
of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
(2 Cor 6:16 KJV) And what agreement hath the temple of
God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God
hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and
they shall be my people.
(Eph 2:21 KJV) In whom all the building fitly framed
together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
We see clearly that the temple in the New Testament
refers to the body of Christ, namely the Church. Therefore God is telling us
that the church is the storehouse in which we bring our tithes and offerings.
Now does this mean the organized, local church is the only storehouse? The
answer is no because suppose you belong to a church which does not have a
missions program and the offerings only go to upkeep of the facilities and pay
salaries. If you sent part of your offering to a mission’s organization or a
godly radio ministry, then in essence you are bringing the offerings into the
storehouse, which is the body of Christ. My belief is that a church without a
missions program, is a church without purpose.
C. Test Me
We must be careful here that we do not misunderstand what
these words are teaching. God is not telling us to look at Heaven and with an
unholy boldness to challenge Him. Instead, He is giving us a gentle nudge and
saying that He wants us to see His faithfulness. God is telling us that if we
have enough faith to give to His true work, then we can ask Him to show us how
faithful He is. This is the only place in Scripture where the Lord tells us to
prove Him and he would not put that in the Bible if He did not want us to.
Here is my personal experience with this verse when it
was explained to me about giving. I had just become a Christian and believed
that if I did not give massive amounts of money to God's work, then he would do
bad things to me because I would be disobedient. I was living in Hackettstown,
NJ at the time and I was making a small salary yet I was giving way beyond my
means and I was carrying much debt with 19-20% interest rates. My view of God
was erroneous. After I told the man who discipled me that I was in strapping
debt and giving above my means, he pointed me to the above verse. He counseled
me to get out of debt, he said, "The Lord doesn't want you living with all that
debt."
I then bowed my head and prayed the verse back to God and
"tested Him." If I remember correctly, it was within 2 weeks that I received
over $750. When I did not give for a while till I saw my debt reduced and
finally coming out of debtors prison, my friend said to me, "See, the Lord
didn't throw a lightning bolt at you, did He?" I believe God wants us to have
stability in our finances and when we include God in that budget, He will
stabilize them. However, keep in mind there will be times of testing and that
does not mean God is not keeping His word. He is either preparing you or
correcting you for something. Giving to God's work does not guarantee you will
become wealthy either. Just give and leave the blessings to God.
The Way you Give is the Way you will Receive!
(Luke 6:38 KJV) Give, and it shall be given unto you;
good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men
give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be
measured to you again.
Let me give another incident concerning my cheap friend.
I remember showing a movie called "God's of the New Age" at my home church where
I had just preached the morning message. I put a plate on the table by the
refreshments and placed a little message above the plate that all money
collected would go to World Missionary Press for tracts to India. My cheap
friend dug deep in his pockets and gave 85 cents.
We will Reap what we Sow
(Gal 6:7 KJV) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for
whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
This verse is a general principle verse but I include it
because it applies to finances also. If you sow little, you will reap little. If
you sow abundantly, you will reap abundantly. If you plant 10 stalks of corn,
you may get 50 ears but if you plant 100 stalks you may get 500 ears. You will
reap what you sow and that without crop failure. If you sow cheap, others will
be cheap with you and to a greater extent. If you sow in abundance, others will
be generous with you. The principle works.
No Tax Deductible Receipt?
Sometimes there are personal ministries, whether on the
Internet or in person where the person or persons have not set up a non-profit
status. Perhaps the ministry is small and may remain that way. If that person
begins to struggle and they ask for help, what is your attitude? Will you give
if you do not receive a tax-deductible receipt? If you refuse to give because
you want that receipt, then you need to check your motives for giving. Since
when did the IRS become your benefactor? If a small ministry is faithfully
sending out the gospel and you refuse to give unless you get a receipt, then you
are showing your trust is in the IRS and not God! God’s principles for giving
are not negated by the fact that a receipt is not issued. God can bless much
more than the IRS. Tax deductible receipts have been used of Satan to stop many
believers from giving to the Lord’s work under the guise of “proper
stewardship.” This is false stewardship because the work of the Lord will be
hindered unless a receipt is issued. I think it is interesting that we spend
hundreds, even thousands of dollars a year on junk for the house, the lawn, the
car, etc., but when a decision has to be made to give a few dollars to a
Christian ministry that does not or cannot give receipts, then we close the
wallet and say, “Well we want to be able to deduct our contributions because
that is wise stewardship.” Then in the same breath they are on the run to the
nearest WalMart to buy more personal junk which will be sold at their yard sale
in one year. Is that wise stewardship? Christians should not be concerned as to
whether they receive a receipt or not, they should be concerned about their
faithfulness to the Lord in sending out the Gospel.
Six basic Dynamics which Giving builds into our
lives:
1. It teaches us to look beyond ourselves as we see the
needs of others.
2. It teaches us we are stewards and not owners.
3. It arrests greed and self-centeredness.
4. It opens the door for a sacrificial life.
5. It teaches us that we can trust God with money which
opens the door to trust Him with other things.
6. Obedience.