Centered Ministries

PRAYER, PRAISE & WORSHIP

Spiritual Discipline of Giving

by Romeo Pelle

Spiritual Discipline of Money

A Synthesis of Randy Alcorn’s Book: “The Treasury Principle”

Jesus spoke about money, possessions and finances more than He talked about heaven and hell combined! Why? Because there is a fundamental connection between our spiritual lives and how we think about and we handle money. Even though some Christians try to separate faith from finances, God sees them inseparable.

One Biblical example is found in Luke 3, where John the Baptist was asked by the crowd of his listeners what they must do to demonstrate the fruit of their repentance. Even though they did not ask anything about money, John gave them three answers, and all related to money and possessions:

1. Everyone should share clothes and food with the poor (v.11).

2. Tax collectors shouldn’t take extra money (v.13).

3. Soldiers should be content with their wages and not extort money (v.14).

Why didn’t John talk about other things that we, and the crowd of those times, might think are important and related to our spiritual health? Because our approach to money and material possessions isn’t just important; it is central to our spiritual lives! John the Baptist couldn’t talk about spirituality without talking about how to handle money and wealth.

Another example we can find in the life of Zacchaeus. Luke 19 describes this Jew as a person that did everything in his power to accumulate wealth, as he was the chief tax collector in the city of Jericho. However, when he met Jesus he said: “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (Luke 19:8). Jesus responded: “Today salvation has come to this house” (v.9). Zacchaeus totally new approach to money demonstrated that his heart had been transformed.

Many other Biblical examples prove the connection between a person’s spiritual condition and his or her approach to money and possessions: the new converts sold their possessions to help the needy (Acts 2:45; 4:32-35); when Ephesians occultists converted to Christ they burnt all of their magic books, valued to millions of dollars in today’s money (Acts 19:19); the poor widow who gave everything she had (Mark 12:44).

In strong contrast, the Lord Jesus spoke of a rich man who spent all of his wealth on himself, living a life of luxury, and who planned to tear down his barns to build larger ones to accumulate even more. God called this man a fool, saying, “This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (Luke 12:20). The strongest accusation against this person’s spiritual condition was that he was rich toward himself, but not rich toward God.

When a rich young man insisted to Jesus on how to obtain eternal life, Jesus told him, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven. Then come, and follow me” (Matthew 19:21). This young man was obsessed with earthly treasures; Jesus called him to something higher – heavenly treasures. Jesus knew that money and possessions were this man’s god. He, indeed, obeyed the commandments from the Second Table of Moses’ Law, but he failed miserably regarding the First Commandment! Jesus knew well that this young man wouldn’t serve God unless he dethroned his real god: Mammon, the money god, but the seeker considered the price too high and walked away from the real treasures.

In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches the foundation of the Treasure Principle:

“Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21.

Think of what Jesus is saying: “Do not store up treasures on earth.” Why not? Because earthly treasures are bad? NO. Because they won’t last. This is what Scriptures says, “Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle” (Proverbs 23:5). As Christians we have the insight of the eventual return of Christ. This is the ultimate inside trading tip: Earth’s currency will become worthless when Christ returns, or when you die, whichever comes first (which both could happen at any time!).

Jesus tells us to once and for all switch our investments and to transfer our funds from Earth, which is totally unsecured (Alexander the Great), to Heaven, which is totally dependable and secured by God Himself. His Kingdom is coming soon to replace Earth’s economy. According to Jesus, storing up earthly treasures isn’t only wrong; is stupid! He wants us to store up treasures in Heaven.

God is the Owner, we are the managers. We need to develop a steward’s mentality toward the assets He had entrusted – not given – to us! A steward doesn’t have a sense of entitlement to the assets he manages. It’s his job to find out what the owner wants done with His assets and carry out His will.

Biblical teachings regarding the Treasure Principle Key # 1:

• “The Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” – Psalm 24:1.
• “The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,” declares the Lord Almighty.” – Haggai 2:8.
• “Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth” – Deuteronomy 8:18.
• “Wealth and honor come from you; You are the ruler of all things… Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand” – 1 Chronicles 29:12 & 14
• “You are not your own; you were bought at a price” -  1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

God will grant us rewards for generous giving: “Go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven” (Matt. 19:21). Jesus is keeping track even of our smallest acts of kindness: “If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” (Matt. 10:42)

God is keeping a record of all we do for Him, including our giving: “A scroll of remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His Name” Malachi 3:16. Jesus said, “If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of you own?” (Luke 16:11-12). If you and I handle His money faithfully, Christ will give us true riches – the eternal ones. By generously distributing God’s property on Earth, we will become property owners in Heaven!

In other words, we could actualize Jesus’ words something like this: “Show me your checkbook, your credit card statement and your receipts, and I’ll show you where your heart is.”

Jesus declared “Be on guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)

The Bible is very clear regarding Jesus’ command to us regarding giving. We know that He offers us great rewards for giving. The question is: “Why is so difficult to give?” There several barriers to giving: unbelief, insecurity, pride, idolatry, desire for power and control. However, the greatest barrier to giving is the illusion, or the belief that Earth is our home.

Paradoxically, our home is a place we’ve never been; but it’s the place we were made for. If we would let this reality sink in, it would forever change the way we think and live: we would stop laying up treasures in our earthly hotel room and start sending more ahead to our true home.

“Who dies with the most toys wins”

If we would take a trip to a landfill, we would see a long line of garbage trucks lined up to dump computers, stereos, furniture, appliances, toys, and anything you could imagine. The pit where that stuff is dumped will be covered with a layer of soil, and another layer of stuff will be dumped. That is the final resting place for the things in our lives, and sooner or later, everything we own ends up here: cars, boats, and hot tubs; clothes, stereos, and barbecues; Christmas and birthday presents. The treasures that children fight about, friendships were lost, honesty was sacrificed for, and many marriages broke up for: all of these end up in a junkyard!

And this despite the saying, “Who dies with the most toys wins”! In fact, when we die after devoting our lives to acquire things, we don’t win – we lose. We move into eternity, but our toys stay behind, filling junkyards.

Let’s think about our lives like having two phases: first phase is a dot; the second is a line extending out from that dot. Right now we are living  in the dot. But what are we living  for ? The shortsighted person lives for the dot. The person with perspective lives for the line. This Earth and my time here is the dot. Our beloved Bridegroom, the coming wedding, the great reunion, and our eternal home in the New Heaven and New Earth – they are all on the line. These truths bring us to the key # 4:

The person who lives for the dot lives for the treasures on Earth that end up in junkyards or landfills. The person who lives for treasures in heaven that will last forever IS LIVING FOR THE LINE! Missionary Jim Elliot has uttered these words: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Live for the line, not for the dot!

A Culture Obsessed With Possession

A PBS television documentary diagnosed our American culture with “modern-day plague of materialism” and claimed that:

• The average American shops six hours a week while spending a total of 45 minutes playing with his children.
• By age twenty, the average American has seen one million commercials.
• Every year more Americans declare bankruptcy than graduate from college, and the number of bankruptcies is skyrocketing.
• In 90% of divorce cases the arguments about money play a dominant role.

However, material wealth doesn’t make us happy. Actually, the richest among us tell us otherwise:

• “The care of $200 million is enough to kill anyone.” W.H. Vanderbilt
• “I have made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness.” John D. Rockefeller
• “Millionaires seldom smile.” Andrew Carnegie
• “I was happier when doing a mechanic’s job.” Henry Ford

There are countless stories of lottery winners that are more miserable a few years after winning than they were before. Or people that purchased a “vacation” home just to become enslave and work on that piece of property every weekend or day off. We think we own our possessions, but too often they own us. Nothing makes a journey more difficult than a heavy backpack filled with nice but unnecessary things.  Pilgrims travel light.

The Tyranny of Things

Acquiring some expensive thing may push me into redefining my priorities. For instance, if I buy a boat, I want to justify my purchase by using the boat, which probably means frequent weekend trips to the lake, away from Church. More time would have to be spent on maintaining the boat, including the necessary expenses for maintenance. The problem isn’t with the boat; it is with me that I have to change the priority of things important in my life.

Let’s listen to the wise words of Solomon, the wisest man of his generation that we find in Eccles. 5:10-15.

• “Whoever loves money never has money enough” (v.10a). In other words: The more you have, the more you want!
• “Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income” (v.10b). In other words: The more you have, the less you are satisfied!
• “As goods increase, so do those who consume them” (v.11). In other words: The more you have, the more people (even the government) will come after it.
• “The sleep of the laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep” (v.12). In other words: The more you have, the more you have to worry about.
• “I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner” (V.13). In other words: The more you have, the more you can hurt yourself by holding on to it.
• “Or wealth lost through some misfortune” (v.14). In other words: The more you have, the more you have to lose.
• “Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand” (v.15). In other words: The more you have, the more you’ll leave behind.

Solomon was the wealthiest man of his time and he learned that affluence and possessions didn’t satisfy. He tried everything, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure” (Ecclesiastes 2:10). However, he concluded: “When I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind, nothing was gained under the sun” (v.11).

Why are we, humans, become so entangled in trying to get these earthly treasures? Because our hearts yearn for these treasures, and we are tempted to get them because we are under the illusion that they are real and genuine, when these earthly treasures are mere shadows of the real, heavenly treasures! Nevertheless, the earthly treasures can become heavenly ones!

“As base a thing as money often is, it yet can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor; it can keep a missionary busy actively winning lost men to the light of the Gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values. Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality”

A.W. Tozer, “The Transmutation of Wealth,”

Apostle Paul has a strong word for the rich people and against the perils of materialism: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasures for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19). These truths bring us to the:

The act of giving is a clear reminder that it is all about God, not about us. He does not exist for me; I exist for Him and God’s money has a higher purpose than my affluence. Giving affirms Christ’s Lordship, as it dethrones me and exalts Him. It breaks the chains of Mammon that wants to enslave me. When I give it away, I relinquish control, power, and prestige. I recognize God as owner, myself as a servant, and others as intended beneficiaries of what God entrusted to me.

Getting Started in the Spiritual Discipline of Giving

“I have held many things in my hand and I have lost them all.

But whatever I placed in God’s hands, that I still possess” (Martin Luther)

Like Zacchaeus, who understood that a saved life cannot be separated from giving, any Christian must understand that Christian life is inseparable from the discipline of giving. The question is, “Where do I start?” A logical place is where God started His Old Covenant children: “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord: it is holy to the Lord” (Leviticus 27:30). The meaning of the “tithe” is a “tenth” part. Ten percent was to be given back to the Lord. There were freewill offerings too, but the 10% was mandatory.

Proverbs 3:9 says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.” God’s children are to give Him first, not last! When His children weren’t giving as they should, He said, “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse – the whole nation of you – because you are robbing Me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house” (Malachi 3:8-10).

Jesus validated the mandatory tithe, even on small things (Matthew 23:23). But there is no mention of tithing after the Gospels. In the Epistles, the tithe is neither commanded nor rescinded, and this led to a heated debate among Christians about whether tithing is still a starting place for giving. The New Testament speaks strongly against legalism, the commandments regarding tithing belong to the Old Testament and nobody wants to pour new wine into old wineskins by imposing Old Testament commandments on the New Testament believers. HOWEVER, every New Testament example of giving goes far beyond the tithe and none falls short of it.

The truth of giving God our first fruits, though, is a timeless concept! Whether or not the tithe is still the minimal measure of those firstfruits, we should ask ourselves, “Does God expect His New Covenant children to give less or more?” Answering this question, we need to remember that Jesus raised the spiritual bar; He never lowered it! “You have heard that it was said …; but I tell you…!” (Matthew 5 & 6).

Training Wheels in the Spiritual Discipline of Giving

It was mentioned before that there is a heated debate among Christians about whether tithing is still a starting place for giving. However, the Church fathers Origen, Jerome, and Augustine taught that the tithe was the minimum giving requirement for Christians. It is also fair to ask, “God, do You really expect less of me – who has Your Holy Spirit within me – that You demanded of the poorest Israelite?”

Sadly, most studies reveal that American Christians give on average between 2% and 3 % of their income. Barna Research reported in 2001 that among the born-again Christians there was an unbelievable 44% increase in those who gave nothing in the previous year. The same study found that only 13% of the born-again Christians tithed in the previous year! The conclusion could be stated like this: Whatever the teaching in our Churches about giving, either it’s not true to the Scriptures, the message isn’t getting through, or Christians are being disobedient.

However, from the beginning of God’s people history, the tithe was God’s method to get us on the path of giving. The tithing isn’t the place to stop, but is a good place to start. Even in the Old Testament there were free will offerings. Tithing isn’t the ceiling of giving; it’s the floor. The tithe can be training wheels to launch us into the mind-set and habits of grace giving.

Malachi declared that the Israelites robbed God by with-holding not only their mandatory tithes but also their voluntary “offerings.” If they could rob God with insufficient freewill offerings, could we be guilty of the same sin? Paul encouraged voluntary giving, yet also described such giving as “obedience” (2 Corinthians 9:13). In other words, God has expectations for us, even when our offerings are voluntary, and to give less than He expects of us is to rob Him. It is obvious from Scriptures that God doesn’t expect us all to give the same amount: we are to give in proportion to how He has blessed us (Deuteronomy 16:10, 16-17; 1 Corinthians 16:2).

Someone could say, “I will start gradually to give to the Lord and I am going to start with 5%.” That is similar with someone saying, “I robbed last year 10 banks, but by God’s grace, I will only rob 5 banks this year.” The idea is not to rob God less; it is not to rob God at all! It is also true that for some people by giving 5% would be a higher sacrifice than for others giving 50% or even 90%! And the well-off and the rich people should never believe that by giving automatically 10% of their income, they fulfilled their obligations, because the other 90% belongs to God, also. He doesn’t look at only what we give; He also looks at what we keep.

Many givers would tell you that tithing was the practice that started them to stretch even more. They tithed and then watched God provide! They saw their hearts getting closer to His Kingdom, and now, years later, they are giving 20, 40, 80, or even 95% of their incomes to God’s purposes. On the other hand, many believers that were financially blessed but did not obey the Lord with their giving discipline saw their incomes being reduced and dwindled down.

Ironically, many believers can’t afford to give precisely because they are not giving. In Haggai, the Lord angrily said to His people: “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why? declares the Lord Almighty. ‘Because of My house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands” (1:9-11). If we pay our debt to God first, then we will receive His blessings to help us pay our debts to men. But when we rob God to pay men, we rob ourselves of God’s blessings. This is a vicious cycle, and it takes obedient faith to break out of it!

People often protest when they are asked to tithe that they cannot afford it. But if you ask them, “Would you die if your income would be reduced by 10 percent?”, they would answer, “No.” That’s an acknowledgement that they can afford it, but they don’t want to tithe. It is not easy to tithe, but it is much easier and safer to live on 90% or 50% or even 25% of your income inside the will of God than it is to live on 100%  outside God’s will!

Tithing is like a toddler’s first step: they are not his best steps nor last, but they are a good start. Once you learn to ride a bike you need no more the training wheels. Once you learn to give, tithing becomes irrelevant. There is no problem with Christians that state, “We are not under the law of tithing,” as long as they are not using that as a justification to give less. However, the reality among Christians indicate that most believers need a jump-start to their discipline of giving!

Excellent Giving

Paul called Christians to develop the spiritual discipline of giving: “See that you also excel in this grace of giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7). Like trumpet or piano playing, giving is a skill. With practice, we can get better at it. We can develop this spiritual discipline by giving more, giving more often, and giving more strategically. As we pursue excellence in our vocation, we can make giving something we can study, apply, and strive for excellence.

The Macedonian believers gave, “as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability” (2 Corinthians 8:3). What that “beyond” means? It means pushing our giving beyond the point where the numbers logically add up and continue to give when the bottom line says we cannot. “Beyond” means giving by faith!

Why Has God Entrusted So Much To Us?

Jesus declared: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38). The more you give, the more comes back to you, because God is the greatest giver in the Universe, and He won’t let you outgive Him.

A great example is R.G. LeTourneau, who invented earthmoving machines. He gave away 90% of his income, and the money came in faster than he could give it away. Amazed at the way God worked in his life, he said, “I shovel it out and God shovels it back – but God has a bigger shovel!”

The prosperity gospel dishonors Christ, since any gospel that is more true in America than Zimbabwe or Indonesia is not the true gospel. Prosperity gospel is based on half-truths. God often prospers givers materially, but He won’t let us treat Him like no-lose slot machine. Giving is an act of worship AND a sacrifice. God’s payoff is very real, but it comes at the proper time, which often may not be today or tomorrow but in eternity (Galatians 6:9).

God has given us considerable material blessings. Have you asked yourselves, “Why has He provided so much?” The Word of God will not let us wondering for too long, explaining to us why we got more than we need: “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 made rich in every way so that …” (2 Corinthians 9:10-11).

So that what? Prosperity gospel would finish it, “so that we might live in wealth, showing the world how much God blesses those who love Him.” But that isn’t how Paul finishes it: “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion.” These truths bring us to the key # 6:

God tells us why He gives us more money than we need. It’s not so we can find more ways to spend it. It’s not so we can indulge ourselves and spoil our children. It is so we can give – generously.

When God provides more money, we often think, “This is a blessing.” It is indeed, but it is also a test! We, as money managers, have legitimate needs, and the Owner is very generous: He doesn’t demand that we live in poverty and He doesn’t resent when we make reasonable expenditures on ourselves.

But when the Owner sees us living luxuriously in a huge mansion, driving only the best cars, flying only first class, eating at expensive restaurants, buying expensive clothes and the latest electronic gadgets, doesn’t He have the right to raise His eyebrows? Isn’t there a point when, as His stewards, we can cross the line of reasonable expenses? Won’t the Owner call us to account for squandering money that is not ours?  We are called to be God’s servants and we are told it’s required of us that we “prove faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2).

It’s like you have some very important and precious you want to get to get to someone that really needs it. After you wrap it up you call the FedEx and entrust it to him. What would you think if instead delivering the package, he took it home and kept it for himself? You would say, “Hey, this guy doesn’t get it! The package doesn’t belong to him; he’s just a middleman, and his job is to pass it from me to the person that it was intended for.”

Just because God puts His money in our hands doesn’t mean He intends for it to stay there!  Paul said that the God who supplies seed to the sower will increase our store of seed. Why? So we can stockpile seed on top of seed? No, so we can scatter it and spread it out that it might bear fruit. Abundance isn’t God’s provision for me to live in luxury; it’s His provision for me to help others live.

God entrusts me with His money

not to build my kingdom here on earth,

but to build His kingdom in heaven.