Growing Through Giving

As we continue our look at discipleship and how, as believers, we can grow in our walk with God, we come now to one of those topics that always tends to be a sensitive subject: the importance of giving.

See, I told you it was sensitive. Some who are reading this have already gone on the defensive. But I promise you, I’m not asking for any money, I have no ulterior motive, I simply want to share with you how important it is for a follower of Christ to have a giving attitude.

Let’s just state the obvious – giving is a commandment of God. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were commanded to give the first 10% of their harvest to the Lord:

“You must set aside a tithe of your crops – one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year.” (Deuteronomy 14:22)

So if you’re not giving, you’re disobeying God. Of course, as Christians we aren’t bound to Old Testament law, though it is important to know that Jesus commended the giving of the tithe:

“How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees, Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income, but you ignore the important things of the law – justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave undone the more important things.” (Matthew 23:23)

So Jesus commended the Jewish leaders for giving at least 10% of their income. In fact, it was the only thing Jesus ever commended the Pharisees for. Still, this doesn’t mean that the tithe is binding on believers today. So what does it mean?

I believe that for a fully devoted follower of Christ, giving the first 10% of our income to the Lord is simply the beginning point for our giving. In fact, I don’t believe that 10% is nearly radical enough for a disciple of Jesus Christ. I believe that we should offer our entire lives to him, not just a mere 10% of our income. 

So how can we develop an attitude and a habit of giving? First, we have to understand that all that we have, not 10%, but 100% of what we have was provided by God and still belongs to God. Regardless of what you think, you didn’t get what you have through hard work, special skills, or anything else – you have it because God allowed you to have it. 

When the people of Israel were giving toward the construction of the temple, King David had this to say…

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours.” (1 Chronicles 29:11)

Everything in this universe was created by God and belongs to God, period. So when he commands his people to give 10%, what he’s really doing is allowing the people to keep 90% of what is his. But make no mistake, everything we have belongs to God. We’re not the owners, we’re just the managers of what belongs to God.

When I was 16 years old, my dad bought me a car, for which I’ll always be thankful. Now before you start thinking, “Rich kid gets new sports car,” you have to know, it was one of the 2 worst cars I ever had in my life. It was horrible! The other really bad car I got was from my grandmother. And when it had finally served its purpose, I went on Kelly Blue Book to see what I might could sell it for, so I entered in all the data, make, model, year, mileage, and it came back a negative number! Like I had to pay somebody to take it from me! 

But this car I had when I was 16, I would say, “We’ll take my car, let’s go in my car, you can ride in my car, no you can’t drive my car.” But it really wasn’t my car. And I was made painfully aware of that when my dad would discipline me by telling me to hand the keys over to him for a specific amount of time. I was also responsible for making sure the oil was changed, the tires were rotated, and all the maintenance work was done. I might have possessed the car, but my dad owned the car. And I was responsible to him for how I treated his car.

That’s the way it is with every single thing and every single dollar you have. You might possess it, but God owns it. And you are responsible to God for what you do with it. That’s why every spending decision is a spiritual decision, because we’re using God’s property and God’s money.

Second, when we look at what Jesus has done for us, how can we not give? Think about all that Jesus has done for you. Ultimately, he loved you so much that he gave his very life for you so that your sins would be forgiven. When we think about all that we have been given, how can we not give back to him? And how can we not give back to him cheerfully? Listen to these words of Paul:

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)

God wants his followers to not only give but to be happy when doing it! It really isn’t about the amount, it’s more about the attitude. After all, God doesn’t need your money. Remember, everything is his, and he can do anything he wants to do whether or not you give. But he wants to give through you, and he wants you to freely, willingly, and happily give to him. He wants you to give out of thanksgiving and in faith, not expecting anything in return, but simply out of love for him and trust in him.

Sadly, most Christians fall far short of giving 10% of their income to the Lord. I think part of the reason why is that most Christians don’t really believe that they can give and still meet their needs. We don’t really believe that we can fork over 10% of our gross paycheck and survive. But I’m saying to you that it is absolutely impossible to outgive God! When we give out of love and faith, we’re telling God that we know he will supply every need we have. And he will! He will supply, whether monetary or not, but he will supply everything you need in order to be the person he calls you to be. 

If you’re not giving to God, start! And if you can’t give cheerfully, then do it with a growl, but start!  As you see God continue to work in your life, that growl will turn to a smile.

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