Money shapes life in America as much as or more than any other single item. Until recently, an amazing amount of wealth came of the stock market and booming economy. It is the spiritual leader's responsibility to get involved in the financial lives of those for whom he is responsible. That does not solely mean speaking about the amount they have to the budget but helping them develop a philosophy of getting, keeping, and giving. The attempt to avoid the "money grubbing syndrome" creates a lack of leadership.
1. Giving may be harder than earning. I cannot imagine a more difficult or dangerous way of life than to spend the bulk of my time giving away my money to worthy causes, especially Christian causes. I say difficult, for profitable stewardship requires a new and more strenuous discipline than making the money. I say dangerous because of the temptations confronting those with money to give.
2. Giving must move from duty to joy. The sheer administrative monotony can turn the joy of giving into dull duty. A. T. Cushman, the past chairman of Sears, told me years ago, "Fred, the art of administration is constant checking." But done right, giving moves people from duty to joy. There is freedom in crossing the line from duty to joy. This is the theological freedom in moving from works to grace. A psychiatrist specializing in alcohol abuse reported, "We now know why some individuals after staying sober for years return to drink while others never go back. Those who labor every day, vowing not to drink today, may become overwhelmed with the onerous burden and start drinking again. On the other hand, those who move from the vow of sobriety to the joy of sobriety never go back."
3. Generous giving is a lifestyle. That involves more than money, appreciated assets, techniques and programs. It involves our spiritual maturity. How often am I willing to pray, "Lord, prosper me financially in proportion to my spiritual maturity"? What a snare it is if we try to bribe God with financial gifts to rationalize our failure to offer him our spiritual gifts.
4. Motive is imperative. Biblical wisdom tells us, "Out of the heart are the issues of life." In the New Testament, Ananias and Sapphira wanted the full credit for giving while only giving partially. Their greed for reputation cost them their lives. In praising the widow's gift of a mite, Christ showed he is more interested in motive than amount.
Here are several common motives for giving: Tax deductions. Many prefer to give to the church rather than to the government. Charitable organizations are anxious to protect the tax deduction, believing it produces gifts. Peer pressure. A CEO of a large corporation had a reputation as a great fund-raiser. In actuality, he "suggested" that those doing business with him contribute specified amounts. He was a fund-raiser, but not a giver. Many charitable and religious institutions classify their donors by size of gift. That is peer pressure. Some fund-raisers urge ministries to create emergencies, knowing that people will respond. I have been chairman of several national ministries and know from experience that a great many of these are contrived or exist due to poor management. Again, pressure is often put on wealthy people to create human immortality by grants and buildings that perpetuate their name. Obedience. Obedience is an excellent motivation if done out of respect, not fear. A successful businessman without deep religious convictions was told by his relatives that unless he contributed liberally to the church, God would take away his wealth. That is just as wrong as telling people that if they will give, God will increase their wealth. There are many faithful givers who will remain perpetually poor.
I was leading a retreat for wealthy entrepreneurs when the subject of giving came up. I told them that I thought the New Testament taught proportional giving, certainly not less than the tithe. Suddenly I heard myself say, "Tithing is an Old Testament scheme to help the rich get out of giving." One of the men who had just given $4 million with great publicity laughed out loud. He recognized that he could spill more than he had given and not miss it, yet he had been given such high praise for his gift.
Obedient giving is not to obligate God but to obey him. Gratitude and love. Christian giving should reflect our gratitude and love for the Lord. Hans Selye, the Nobel Prize winner and authority on emotional stress, said that gratitude is the most healthy of all emotions. I also find it the most fragile, with the shortest shelf life. Christian gratitude, beginning at Calvary, should show itself in our love, and love is extravagant. God's glory. What promotes God's glory? Do our gifts make others think of Him and not us? Is it a witness to our belief in his grace and immortality? When we give for his glory, we must be careful not to try to share the glory, because God says he will not share his glory with us.
Generous Giving
Ideas on the practical wisdom of giving
By Fred Smith
