Theology on Giving

As I went to my mailbox, I was not surprised to find another one. I am supposing that your mailbox receives the same regular traffic as mine. I rarely find correspondence marked “Please find check enclosed.” Rather (especially during the holidays), I find another bundle of pleas requesting that I give to some particular needy cause. While I like to thank of myself as generous, I can’t deny that the requests for my donations can begin to overwhelm. That is exactly why the following story makes me so uncomfortable.

Jeff Foxworthy has made his mark as the most recorded comedian in history. Several years ago, Jeff agreed to lead a group of homeless men in a weekly study at the Atlanta Mission. As Foxworthy tells it, he felt led to teach these men about giving even though they had next to nothing. He proposed giving a $50 bill to the 250 homeless men and then withdrew $12,500 from his bank and distributed the cash.

Jeff then told the assembled group of a dire need in a local elementary school at which the teachers were short on supplies and money. Jeff suggested they take up a collection and was shocked as every single man gave up his $50 bill and then dug in their collective pockets searching for more change to give.

Jeff reported that he had to dismiss himself to the hallway to cry. The men who had nothing gave all they had and did so with great joy.

This act of generosity in giving certainly models the example of Christ. The Apostle Paul writes, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Yet, how does the example of God, who gave the very gift of His Son for us, manifest itself in the exact manner of our giving? Should we literally “empty our pockets” for every needy cause?

Scripture provides insight regarding a proper theology on giving that can guide us in making certain that our giving honors God.

1. Is your giving for the sake of the gospel?

There is an endless list of needy causes, and many are worthy of generous support. However, regardless of how much we give, human suffering in this world will continue until Christ returns. The only certain hope for the needy is that they would find salvation in Christ. Many organizations do very noble work, but the church alone has been commissioned for taking the message of the gospel to the world, and Christ’s church alone will stand in eternity. As believers, we should make certain our giving is to focused upon those causes which have an eternal mindset as their aim (Matthew 16:26).

2. Is your generosity for your glory or God’s?

If we are going to be honest, we all like to be recognized for the good we do. Organizations, causes, and even churches are littered with plaques in honor of those who have given. While there is certainly a place for acknowledging sacrifice, we must be careful that we do not allow this to be our motivation for giving. When we sacrificially give, there will be great return to us…in heaven. If we are seeking the praise of others, then that is all the reward we will receive (Matthew 6:2).

3. Is your giving an act of faith?

Everything we do, even our giving, must be done through faith, because this alone pleases God (Galatians 5:6). If I give out of the abundance of my resources, then I have displayed what I can do, not what God can do. But when I sacrificially give out of my little, then I am showing that everything belongs to God and comes from God. My generosity displays that I trust in Him alone to meet every need.

4. Does your giving cost you something?

When our generosity is judged by God, specific amounts are irrelevant; rather, it is the percentage that matters (2 Corinthians 8:1-3). The following quote by C.S. Lewis stings my own conscious in determining how much I should give:

I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc, is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them.

When we give, we are certainly emulating the very character of God. Let us not give in a way that is small, flippant, or proud. Let us give even as God has given (John 3:16).

Jason