Talking about giving

When I attended seminary in the late 1980’s, there were some highly publicized scandals in the news involving wealthy televangelists. It came to light that certain preachers had built huge personal fortunes by coaxing their listeners to give sacrificially to their cause. One summer between semesters, I got a job working construction. When the other workers learned that I was studying to be a minister, they never let me hear the end of it. Day after day I heard wisecracks about how wealthy I would be once I got those poor widows’ offerings rolling in.... Because of this, and because of my fear of offending people, I rarely talked about money during my first few years as a pastor. I didn’t want people to think I was one of those greedy guys.
Eventually, however, I learned that a pastor’s job is not to win public approval. His job is to teach God’s Word. I realized that, if I wanted to do my job, I would have to talk to people about giving whether I wanted to or not. This is because what we do with our money is one of the main topics addressed in the Bible. (About 15% of Christ’s recorded teachings deal with this subject. He spoke about money more than he did about heaven or hell or sex.)
The reason money is addressed so often by Scripture is because what we do with our finances reveals, perhaps more clearly than anything, what is really going on in our hearts. Colossians 3:5 says that greed is idolatry. It is worshiping money as a false god. Greed can take different forms. It might be an insatiable desire to get money. It might be a simple reluctance to give. Either way it reveals that a person is looking to possessions for satisfaction or security, rather than looking for these in God. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Money.” (Matt. 6:24)
The problem with making money your god is not just that it is morally wrong. The problem is also that it’s stupid. Money doesn’t last. Everyone knows that we can’t take it with us when we die. When the wealthy founder of Standard Oil, John D. Rockefeller, died, someone asked his accountant, “How much money did Mr. Rockefeller leave behind?” The man replied simply, “He left all of it.” That will be true for all of us. Everything we now own (cars or houses, appliances or clothes) will someday no longer be ours.
The Bible teaches that the only way to hold onto our wealth is to give it away. It promises that giving for the glory of Christ will elicit an eternal reward. Paul commanded people with money “to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” Why? He said, “In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (1 Tim. 6:18-19)
In other words, though you can’t take your money with you, by giving to the Lord’s work and to the poor, you can send it ahead. Author Randy Alcorn writes: “We’ll each part with our money. The only question is when. We have no choice but to part with it later. But we do have a choice whether to part with it now. We can keep earthly treasures for a moment, and we may derive some temporary enjoyment from them. But if we give them away, we’ll enjoy eternal treasures that will never be taken away from us.”
The message of Easter assures us that this is true. Jesus died penniless. On the cross, even his clothing was taking away. He literally gave everything he had. But three days later Jesus rose from the grave, announcing to his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Mt. 28:18)
Christ’s resurrection proves to us that God will keep every promise he ever made. The Father raised Jesus from the dead, and he will someday raise Christ’s people, too. We have no need to fear that our giving will go unrewarded. We should give boldly and joyfully for the glory of God.