Yesterday I received an appeal letter from a Christian organization that our church supports. Attached to that letter was a list of donors, with their contributions listed in order from most to least. What do you think I did? Probably, I did what most people would do. I looked for the church's name on the list. I wanted to see where we were on the list! The focus of our donation was no longer the work of Jesus Christ. Instead, I was concerned about the opinion of others. Had we given enough that no one would think poorly of us? How did we compare with others? Then it became perfectly clear what was going on. I quickly put the list down and asked God for forgiveness!
The appeal to human pride, both negatively with shame and positively with recognition, can be a powerful tool in the hands of those who raise funds for charitable work. However, such tactics are wrong because they completely miss the point of true giving which is as an act of worship, as a decision that flows from devotion and love. Jesus wisely taught us, "When you give a gift to someone in need, don’t shout about it as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I assure you, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone, don’t tell your left hand what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you." (Matthew 6:2-4, NLT)
Jesus knew our human nature, marred by depravity, would, if given the chance, twist giving into a means of gratifying our ego needs. He knew even use our 'gifts to God' to manipulate others into empowering us to fulfill our own agenda. He also knew that the moment our gifts became public we would concerned about appearances. We would no longer be guided by His will in our expressions of worship in giving. Instead, we would be concerned about giving enough to maintain our dignity! No wonder His disciples were so amazed by His observation about the two penny donation of a poverty stricken widow. They were accustomed to the 'normal' ways of giving, where the rich made large contributions and everyone oohed and ahhed about the $million they gave to the temple fund when it was announced from the pulpit. Jesus put a whole new perspective on giving when He said of that widow's tiny offering - “I assure you this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” (Luke 21:3-4, NLT)
Giving is a privilege, an act of worship, and a spiritual discipline. The Bible teaches us to tithe, which the Old Testament explains is 10% of our increase. We don't give our tithe because God needs it. After all, He owns the world. In the poetic words of the Psalm we are told that He 'owns the cattle on a thousand hills!' We don't tithe as a form of taxation, because we are not really giving to human organizations, though they may be the means of getting God's work done. And we don't tithe to get praise for ourselves. We give of our time and our resources because it honors the God we profess to love. In our tithing, we tell Him, in a very tangible way, "Lord, you are first priority, my love, my life." When our giving has this focus, we give generously and sacrificially and we feel joy in our gift. We aren't looking around wondering who's noticed, or how we compare on a list. We are looking UP and receiving His loving acceptance. The amount of our offering is unimportant to God, for He sees whether our gift comes from the heart and whether it is, in fact, proportional to the store of goods with which we are blessed.
Believer, I hope that you do give to your church, to charitable organizations, and to those in need. Giving, especially that which is done intentionally, regularly, and sacrificially, breaks the grip of greed from you. The person who gives worshipfully trains his eyes to look away from himself. Are you a giver? Meditate on this word from the Word today. May the Spirit inspire you to greater giving of yourself, not for earthly honors, but for the love of God!
"Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully. And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “Godly people give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will never be forgotten.” For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will give you many opportunities to do good, and he will produce a great harvest of generosity in you."
(2 Corinthians 9:6-10, NLT)
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