Money and Wealth (Part 15) – Giving (Part A) – Giving to God

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Money and Wealth (Part 15) – Giving (Part A) – Giving to God

Giving

1. “Live like no other so that later you can give like no other.” (modified Ramsey quote)
2. “Remember that what you give will afford you more pleasure than what you get.” (H. Jackson Brown Jr., The Complete Life’s Little Instruction Book, #899)
3. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (The Lord Jesus Christ, Act 20:35)
4. “…Andrew Carnegie said, ‘Surplus wealth is a sacred trust to be managed for the good of others.’” (Dave Ramsey, Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money, p. 319)
5. God made us to be givers because He is a giver (1Ti 6:17; Jam 1:5; 1Jo 5:11), and we are made in His image (Gen 1:27).
   1. “We are made in God’s image . . . and God is a giver. Giving is the key that unlocks our full potential―in our life and in our money.” (Dave Ramsey, Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money, p. 306)
   2. “I believe that God puts us through the mechanical act of giving even when we don’t fully understand the reasons why because the act of giving changes us. It crushes our hearts and reforms us into something that looks and acts a little bit more like Christ. You can’t say you’re a follower of Christ when you’re not giving. You can’t walk around with the clenched fist and tell people about how amazing Jesus is. There’s a disconnect. They won’t believe you because your whole attitude is one of selfishness, fear, and greed. Remember, the clenched fist is the sign of anger. Jesus never talked to people about the love and grace of God with His hands balled up into fists!” (Dave Ramsey, Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money, p. 312)
   3. “Unselfish people have more of a tendency to prosper in relationships and wealth. You know who makes the best fathers, mothers, business partners, merchants, bosses, team members, clients, or salespeople? Unselfish people. These are the people you can trust and the ones you actually want to spend time with and do business with. The only place greedy people prosper is television. In the real world where you and I live, that’s not how it works. If you want to build wealth and have fantastic relationships, you’ve got to give.
   4. “I’m not just talking about giving in a church setting, either. Sure, I believe that Christians ought to give to their local churches like the Bible says, but I also think Christians and everyone else in the world should be actively giving and serving in their communities. You want to change someone’s whole outlook on life? The next time you’re traveling during the holidays, leave a hardworking waitress a $100 tip on a $5 tab. There’s only one reason she’d be waiting tables on Christmas Eve: she needs the money! Think about what you could do in that person’s life with a simple act. You don’t need the credit or the thank-you. Just leave Ben Franklin on the table and say, “Merry Christmas.” Then go hide in the parking lot and watch through the window as she sees what you’ve left. That’s some of the most fun you can have with money!
   5. “If you start doing stuff like this, crazy things will start happening in your life. You’ll be energized, more creative, more passionate, and more excited about life. Something inside of you will be unlocked and you may have no idea what’s happening to you. I can tell you what’s happening: you were made to be a giver, and when you start living up to that potential, you start becoming more and more of what you were made to be.” (Dave Ramsey, Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money, p. 313)

Giving to God

1. Christians are under obligation to honor God with their substance (Pro 3:9).
   1. We must give God the firstfruits of all our increase.
      • Firstfruit – 1. The fruits first gathered in a season; the earliest products of the soil; esp. with reference to the custom of making offerings of these to God or the gods.
      • In other words, to give one’s firstfruits is to give God a portion of one’s income first before any other expenses are paid.
      • When creating a budget, a Christian should determine what percentage of his income that the LORD should get and make that the first line of his budget.
      • The remainder of the budget should then be allotted for all other expenses such as savings, taxes, housing, transportation, food, clothing, utilities, education, entertainment, etc.
      • Sadly, some Christians budget precisely opposite of God’s prescription: they pay all of their expenses first and then give God whatever is left, if there is anything.
      • That is called giving God the leftovers, not the firstfruits.
   2. The Bible teaches proportional giving, meaning that the amount you give should increase at the same rate as your income does.
      • We should give as God prospers us (1Co 16:2).
      • That is the whole idea of a tithe (10%) which was practiced by Abraham and Jacob prior to the law of Moses, and by the entire nation of Israel after it.
      • The amount you give to God should change every time your pay changes, whether up or down.
      • A poor person who gives a small dollar amount which is a significant portion of his income is far more pleasing to God than a rich person who gives a larger dollar amount which is a small portion of his income (Mar 12:41-44).
   3. How much of one’s income is considered the firstfruits?
      • Under the law of Moses, the firstfruits of one’s increase was a tithe, which is a tenth (2Ch 31:4-5).
      • Giving the firstfruits was proportional giving.
        1. If the crop was plenteous, the firstfruits would be plenteous; if the crop was paltry due to a drought, the firstfruits would be paltry.
        2. What about today under the New Testament?
        3. There is no explicit commandment to give ten percent in the New Testament, but it does teach proportional giving: “let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him” (1Co 16:2).
        4. If God has prospered us with much, then we should give more; if God has prospered us with little, then we should give less.
      • Without a specified percentage given by God in the New Testament, what proportion of his income should a Christian then give?
        1. That is up to each man to decide for himself as “he purposeth in his heart” (2Co 9:7).
        2. As for me and my house, we will walk in the steps of our fathers in the faith, Abraham and Jacob, and follow their example of giving 10% of our gross income to the Lord (Heb 7:1-6; Gen 28:20-22).
        3. I know of no example in the Bible of giving less than 10% of one’s income to God, but I have numerous examples of giving that much (Abraham and Jacob) or more (Israel under the law which gave two tithes per year (Num 18:21; Deut 14:22-27) plus a third tithe every three years (Deut 14:28-29)).
      • Should a Christian give based on his gross (before taxes) or net (after taxes) income?
        1. This is a common question among Christians who are employees, because their taxes are taken out of their income before they are paid.
        2. This question is much more rare among self-employed Christians because they understand that taxes are just another personal expense like anything else including their rent, electricity, phone bill, insurance, etc.
        3. To “tithe” after taxes is no different than “tithing” after 401(k) contributions, rent, groceries, health insurance, car insurance, vacations, medical bills, eating out, and every other expense.
        4. If most people “tithed” after expenses, they would “tithe” little to nothing because they have little to nothing left over after their expenses.
        5. It is up to the individual if he “tithes” before or after taxes, but just know that if you “tithe” after taxes, you are not “tithing” your whole income.
        6. Furthermore, many people not only have taxes taken out of their paychecks, but also their health insurance and 401k contributions.
        7. Depending on how much these withholdings amount to, a Christian who is “tithing” could be more like “5-percenting” his actual income to God.
2. When Christians give to God, He will bless them financially (Pro 3:10).
   1. It is not hard for the carnal mind to understand that if seed is taken from the storehouse and sown in the earth it is not wasted, but rather is put to profitable use and will return more than was spent.
      • But the reasoning of fallen men would conclude that what is given to God and His work in the earth is lost.
      • Faith, on the other hand, understands that, like the earth, God returns what was given to Him with dividends (2Co 9:6).
      • Those that scatter will increase, but those that withhold more than is meet will tend to poverty (Pro 11:24).
      • When we give to the poor, we lend to the Lord who repays us generously (Pro 19:17).
   2. In the Old Testament, the LORD offered Israel a challenge.
      • They had not been giving Him their tithes and offerings that were required in those days (Mal 3:8-9).
      • God told them to prove Him by bringing in their tithes and then wait and see if they were not overwhelmed with blessings from Him (Mal 3:10-12).
      • If Christians will obey Jesus’ commandment and “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness,” then “all these things [material needs] shall be added unto [them]” (Mat 6:33).
      • Israel experienced this very thing in the days of king Hezekiah (2Ch 31:10).
      • If a child of God by faith takes God’s challenge to Israel and proves Him, he should not be surprised when God makes good on His word and “[his] barns be filled with plenty, and [his] presses shall burst out with new wine.”
   3. A faithful Christian trusts that God will supply his needs despite giving a significant portion of his income to Him (Php 4:14-19).
   4. Withholding from God what He is due is counterproductive for one’s financial wellbeing (Hag 1:2-11).