Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:
“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
We have talked the past few weeks about tithing – specifically about giving the firstfruits.
As uncomfortable as that may be for some of us, this week’s conversation takes our giving a step further, and a big step at that. We are stepping outside the boundaries of the comfort zone with the subject of giving above the tithe – being a generous giver.
My call is definitely one of being an encourager, but I also have to give a warning about any feelings of accomplishments even if you are great at firstfruit tithing. Here is why – the tithe is required!
I think most believers have desires in sowing seeds of generosity, but the reality of circumstances has taught us to be more cautious. In our world today, the ‘what ifs’ manifest themselves in unexpected expenses, diminishing retirement accounts and worldwide economic turmoil. This causes us to ask questions like, “What if I give away too much?”, “What if there’s not enough left for me?”, “What if…?”
I truly believe the cause is not that we are greedy. I think that under the weight of uncertainty, it’s easy to slowly become irrational about our possessions. What I mean by that is we lose sight of who really owns them. We fail to grasp how we should be sowing them for God’s kingdom.
Millions of Christians are frozen in their financial tracks by this anxiety. They probably have the intention of being more generous. Which we know leads to abundance from Scripture. But somewhere along the way uncertainty creeps in, and they settle for status quo which is a watered-down version of what they could be sowing for the kingdom.
In the United States, just an average of 40% of all church members give any financial support to their churches. ANY! And of the people who do give something, only 4% give 10% of their incomes. Only 4% of church members tithe!
Even those who do give are often reluctant about it. Sure, they respond when the offering plate is passed or when annual pledge cards are due, but there’s no burning passion to leverage everything for God.
When it comes to generous giving, too often Christians take a posture that’s reactive rather than proactive. People give reluctantly or to satisfy their guilt.
I believe that many Christians desire to be generous; it’s not that there are greedy at all! Mostly the problem tied to the lack of generosity with us can be attributed to just plain ol' FEAR. Fear has always been the principal enemy of faith.
It’s important to realize that fear and faith often go hand in hand. Contrary to popular belief, having faith does not mean that there is absence of fear. Fear and faith run parallel in our lives, and uncertainty is an essential ingredient for both. Without the element of the unknown, there could be no faith.
The Bible tells us that faith is confidence in what we hope for, and the assurance that the Lord is working, even though we cannot see it. It’s in that moment of faith that we begin to rely less on what is seen and more on what is unseen. Faith bridges that gap between the two. But, it’s also in that moment that we are most vulnerable to fear. Many Christians know how they’d like to give, but fear kicks in before they can bridge the gap with faith.
In Matthew 6:33 – Jesus assures us that when we seek His kingdom first, with our seed, we don’t have to fear being wiped out – or not having enough; …he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.
When you strive to be a faithful conduit for God’s work – it is His nature to replenish your stores (your resources), and you can trust Him to reward you abundantly for every good deed. That is backed up by Scripture.
If we could view this from God’s perspective, we would see that the fear is not of giving away too much but sowing too little. As believer’s, our primary responsibility is to leverage our wealth for kingdom purposes.
By nature, the concept of generosity is in direct conflict with the concept of self-preservation. Let’s face it, the fear of not having enough is a reality for everyone. Your heart wants to be generous, but your emotions register fear. It’s natural to be afraid when you begin to give outside of your comfort zone.
You may even begin to second-guess your generosity. Even when God gives you an obvious opportunity, it’s not always easy to do so.
Here is one of the biggest fears though - If you’re not prepared for that moment when God prompts you to give generously, fear can hinder your ability to be a good steward of God’s resources.
We get a vivid example of this in Matthew 25, in the parable of the Talents.
Earlier in this series, we talk about two kinds of givers:
1. People who give what’s left over, and
2. People who give first – off the top.
I don’t feel that the first group is greedy at all. They just operate by different priorities. They see themselves as responsible for meeting their own needs. And what’s leftover goes to helping God’s work.
Do you know anyone like that? Yeah, me too! I look at a guy everyday in the mirror who used to be just like that. But luckily, God changed his heart.
The second group see everything as belonging to God, including the responsibility for meeting their daily needs. Therefore, being generous with God’s resources is the priority. A problem with giving leftovers is that your generosity can never exceed your ability to meet your own needs.
In 2 Corinthians 9:7, the Apostle Paul says: Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
God intends for us to give out of a cheerful heart, but the more that you are occupied with the burden of meeting your own needs, the less it can entertain God’s promptings to be generous. For the firstfruit givers, they understand that God owns it all and controls it all! For leftover givers, it’s always a struggle to let go in this area.
God gives us financial seed for the purpose of sowing it. Unless we open our palms and let the seed fly, we will never know what fruit He might produce from it! The solution to this tension lies in changing our idea of ownership.
Who really owns your possessions? NO REALLY – Who owns them? And who is calling the shots for you, financially? The problem is that involving God in your finances involves surrendering control of your money to Him, and that means answering the call to generosity.
In fact, as Jesus usually does, He gives us a model for generous giving. In Mark 12:42, he tells us a parable of the widow who gave her last penny. She had nothing else to rely on but the promise of God to meet her needs.
I’ll have to confess – I’d be a lot more comfortable if stories like that hadn’t made the final draft of the Gospels! When Jesus gives an example, there is very little room for misinterpretation. But God doesn’t want our generosity to be limited by fear. The danger of not crossing the line to be a generous giver, wherever that is for you, is that you leave God out of your finances. Has He ever prompted you to a level of generosity that felt a little uncomfortable? Has fear ever kept you from following Him and doing something financially for His kingdom?
If you really want to move beyond your fear, to experience the joy of generosity, this is a principle and a promise that could radically change your life.
Pastor Jeff
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