Thoughts on Giving, again
Last night I spoke frankly and openly to Sam about the symptoms of giving in the church...
frankly, our church body dishonors the Lord in the neglect of the collection, weekly.
we give when there's a "need" that we can identify as the purpose of the action of giving. this is good, but Scripture teaches the firstfruit gift as a prescription.
The widow's mite
proverbs 3
2 Cor.9
1 Cor.?
none of this is Mosaic Law, works righteousness, or judaizing. It isn't tithing and it isn't unspiritual...
the church is clearly prescribed the practise of collecting for the needs of the saints.
Saints are prescribed the discipline of setting aside for the saints in their weekly/monthly income...
the practise of collecting is normal and normative in Scripture.
So:
there should be a monetary representation of that in our weekly administration of the church.
there should be offerings of money
according to ability
according to willingness
some are unable to tithe. Good. don't. You never had to. Give a bit. Just something to say to God, "I love you." That is why we give.
Good that you can't "make a difference". That's what God loved about the Widow's mite! That it couldn't make a difference and that it was All about Jesus! All about love for God. Desperation and devotion.
That's the POINT.
If your giving is primarily motivated out of a feeling of meeting needs, beware of smugness. You may well be feeling all to confident in your act of righteousness. There needs to be a firstfruit offering to God that proclaims His lordship over your life, outside of the practical need-meeting.
An act that is PRIMARILY worship, and not primarily practical.
Think about this. Change your ways. Cut the amount and put it in the pot every week as worship.
Will it make a difference? Why do you ask?
If you ask because you can't feel good about giving outside the gratification of accomplishment, you're a pragmatist and you grieve God. Repent.
If you ask because you doubt the faithfulness of your church leadership's decision-making about the finances--Go find out what the Bible means by "Church" and make sure that's what you joined. If it's not and the collection is going into bricks, mortar, carpet and drapes--leave them. They are blind guides...
If you ask out of concern for the poor, beware the attitude that Judas had in regard to the alabaster flask.
If you ask out of jealousy for the name of the Lord to be glorified in the church--then ask indeed. For the church has been called, not to the interests of men, but of God. And if the church will not see to the work of God, first then it isn't being the church.
What is the work of God? Calling people to believe in Jesus. Living out true religion in the James 1:26-7 sense.
Take stock. If your church's budget leans toward bricks and mortar, you are undone. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Jesus has not called us to establish bricks and mortar, but to be living letters, proclaiming along with Christ that "the work of God is this: to believe in the One he sent".
That is lived out as we see to the needs of (our) orphans and widows in their distress... (check out the widows' list in Timothy)
...and keep ourselves from pollution in the world.
I'm serious that I believe we haven't even a bit of a grip on the heart of giving, yet. Repent!
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9 Honor the LORD with your wealth,
ReplyDeletewith the firstfruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.
i agree wholeheartedly...
ReplyDeleteyou know how paul would do that thing (like in 1 corinthians) where he would say, "The Lord says, not I," and then, "I say, not the Lord..." I was thinking one of those...
i completely agree that tithing is not at all mandatory, required, or in the way it is approached by many, godly...
but i can say, there are few of us who could not afford at LEAST 10%. sadly, it seems we use our freedom as a reason to indulge the sinful nature (like what paul says NOT to do in galatians), not giving at all, or only giving the bare minimum. barna says the average american christian only gives 2%. I know there are some who legitimately can only give little. Then give little. But give. Give gladly and wholeheartedly, as WORSHIP. But I don't think we should look at others around us and think, "Well, I don't have as much as them, so I must be poor. Therfore, I don't have to give much or at all..." Come on! I've seen third-world living and honestly, the poorest of us lives like a king or queen!
now i am NOT pushing tithing. i am by no means into shame, comparison, or guilt. but i am pushing freedom and honoring the Lord. I like the part you said, lew, about giving as a form of WORSHIP, b/c that is so correct. we put such time and energy into other forms of worship, why not this one? Why not give more? Why not put some serious energy into it?
Jesus always raised the bar...He never lowered it. He said things like, "You have heard it said 'Do not commit adultery,' but I say do not even lust after a woman." So if we framed giving in the same style of statement, what would He say? Maybe something like, "You have heard it said give 10%, but I say give everything: your life, your family, your finances and wealth ALL into the kingdom!"
there is such joy, freedom, and gladness in honoring the Lord with the stuff He has given us. honestly, i really don't see us left with an excuse. some may say they don't have enough to give. hogwash! remember the widow's mite? Jesus praised her because she gave ALL SHE HAD, OUT OF HER POVERTY...remember the Macedonians, they gave OUT OF THEIR POVERTY...they gave gladly and willingly to God, trusting he would do as paul said: provide everything they needed, seed for the sower...
but too often, i see in my life and others, we are afraid. afraid He won't show up, afraid he won't provide. So i better keep some more in the account, just to be safe...
check out the book of Haggai. God actually cursed their incomes because they were focusing on their own homes and needs before him. or how about malachi. "Test me in this," He says. Have we? Have I? Have I pushed all the chips in, have I burned my escape routes?
Giving is a gift and a privelege. Just like the gift of singing praises or speaking His word. God doesn't need my money, but he WANTS my heart. Giving obediently, the way He described, is one way to surrender more of my heart to Him, and commune that much more with the God who lavishes recklessly and gives hilariously.