So Many Causes, Only So Much Money to Give

Have you ever gone to your mailbox with anticipation, perhaps expecting a letter or card from a family member or friend (increasingly rare these days), a check you’ve been waiting on (also not as common as it used to be), a package, or your favorite magazine? You open the mailbox and…no letter, no check, no package, no magazine. Instead, all you find – besides the usual junk mail – are several envelopes from a variety of charitable organizations. 

 

There’s a letter from a veterans’ organization, asking for a donation. A couple from Christian ministries you support occasionally, asking for another gift. Some organization that’s dedicated to fighting a dreaded disease is asking for your help. An international organization that assists impoverished families has a heartfelt plea. And there are a couple of other “asks” from charitable causes you’ve never heard of; they probably got your name from another organization you support that sold their mailing list.

 

How do you handle all that mail, besides throwing them into the pile you’re saving for recycling? It’s not all “junk mail,” because many of the causes are worthwhile, but you can’t support everyone, right? 

 

Some folks don’t do much charitable giving at all, so this isn’t a great problem for them. If they don’t give anything, ministries and non-profits won’t be asking them for more. But for those of us who believe that as followers of Christ one of our responsibilities is give to charity a portion of what the Lord has given to us, it can pose some difficult decisions.

 

The Scriptures state that some people have the spiritual gift of giving – “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us…if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously…” (Romans 12:8). I believe that refers to individuals God lavishly entrusts with money and material resources they eagerly pass on to others. As one philanthropist told me, “The Lord shovels it in and I shovel it out – and He has a bigger shovel.”

 

However, even if our spiritual gift isn’t giving, we’re still commanded to give as God enables and directs. Proverbs 3:9-10 exhorts us to “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”

 

Jesus explained it this way: “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). 

 

So, for the obedient believer giving isn’t an option. The question is where or to whom to give, and how much. The Bible teaches a primary recipient should be the local church. If we are benefiting from being part of a local congregation and believe God is accomplishing His work through it, we should certainly support its staff, activities and programs. However, there are other causes that deserve to be considered. How do we determine who receives our contributions – and who doesn’t?

 

There’s no single answer to that question. Each of us has certain causes and ministries that capture our interest. We should trust God to guide our decisions, particularly since He’s the one who provided us with the resources. He might lay a special need on your heart that doesn’t resonate with someone else. We do have an obligation to give wisely, knowing our contributions are, to borrow a phrase from the Salvation Army – one of myriad worthy causes – “doing the most good.”

 

Whenever I’m faced with charitable giving decisions, I’ve found great encouragement from the apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

 

This tells me, first of all, that when we give to meet a specific need as the Lord impresses us to give, we can trust He’ll be faithful to meet needs that we have. That our giving, done wisely, won’t result in not having enough for our own needs.

 

Second, if we’re giving “grudgingly,” as another translation expresses it, we’re not doing so with the right spirit and motives. We might be feeling pressured, giving out of a sense of obligation, or because other people we know are doing it. As the passage closes, “God loves a cheerful giver” – literally, a hilarious giver. That’s not someone who’s very reluctant to let loose of their money.

 

This doesn’t fully answer the question of where we should direct our charitable gifts, but it does address the “how” – cheerfully and not under compulsion, and “why” – because God commands us to do so through His Word. Unsolicited requests for donations will continue coming through the mail, just we can’t always block spam arriving in our email inbox, but at least we don’t have to feel guilty about not responding to each one we receive. 

Most of all, we must never forget “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), because as we give cheerfully and willingly, we’ll receive the joy and satisfaction of knowing God is using us to be of help to others in need. 

Being Faithful Stewards of What We Don’t ‘Own’

When we hear someone speaking about money – a preacher, radio ministry, or TV evangelist – many of us have the same reflexive reaction: We reach protectively for our wallets, literally or figuratively. ‘It’s my money, and don’t tell me what I’m supposed to do with it!’

However, if we believe what the Bible says, we realize it’s really not ‘my money.’ One passage in particular makes this clear: “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in heaven and earth belongs to You. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of all. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all” (1 Chronicles 29:11-12).

 

And that’s not an isolated statement. In another passage, God declares, “I have no need for a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills…. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it” (Psalm 50:10,12). As someone has said, if God needed anything, He could just sell one of the cows.

 

The Scriptures teach that rather than being owners, we’re stewards or managers of the resources the Lord entrusts to us. In one of His many parables, Jesus Christ in Matthew 25:14-30 told the story of a man preparing to take a long journey. Before leaving, he called his servants together and put his property into their care. He gave to one of them five talents of money, another two talents, and to a third he gave one talent. Perhaps based on his confidence in their management capabilities.

 

Sure enough, the first two servants invested the money and earned a substantial gain, while the third simply dug a hole and buried the single talent he’d been given. Upon returning, the master met with the servants to see how they had handled the money. The first showed he had put his five talents to work, earning five more, while the second had added two talents to what he’d been entrusted with.

 

Both were praised by the master who said, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things….” Their diligence would be rewarded. The third servant, however, had only the lone talent to return to his master, who wasn’t happy. At the very least, he said, “you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.”

 

The principle behind this parable is one we can apply not only to money, but also to the skills, gifts and experience God has entrusted us with, as well as time and opportunities He sends our way. As the apostle Paul instructed followers of Jesus in ancient Corinth, “So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:1-2).

 

This is the real test of how we handle ‘our money.’ Are we being faithful in how we use it, seeking to spend it wisely and not frivolously or wastefully? And also exhibiting generosity, especially when presented with needs of others that we can help to meet? 

 

It’s the giving part that many of us struggle with the most. Admittedly, with so many worthwhile causes deserving of support, it can put us into a quandary trying to determine where our contributions should go. That can be a matter of prayer, but the Scriptures tell us what’s most important is our attitude. “Each one must [give] as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). He doesn’t want us grumbling as we write checks or enter our credit card numbers.

 

But along with the importance of obedience and having a cheerful, generous spirit, there’s another motivation for our charitable giving. God promises to bless us for it.

 

In Proverbs 3:9-10 we’re instructed to, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, and the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” If we’re faithful to give as God guides, we won’t need to worry about running short in our ability to meet our own needs. The apostle Paul offered this assurance: “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

 

I remember interviewing Stanley Tam, a philanthropist known for giving much more than the 10 percent tithe that’s often debated in Christian circles. In fact, he reversed it – giving away 90 percent of his income and retaining only 10 percent. How could he do such a thing? It was easy, he explained: “I shovel it out, and God shovels it in. And the Lord has a bigger shovel.”

 

Benefits from giving shouldn’t be confined to a material perspective. The Bible doesn’t guarantee if we donate $10 that we’ll get $10 or more in return. What we can count on are blessings beyond a financial measurement. Jesus taught, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). When we give to worthy causes, the recipients aren't the only beneficiaries; we also experience the joy of being part of God’s plan to helping others.

When we get over the idea of it being ‘our money’ and recognize God is trusting us with His resources, we’re freed up from a lot of worry and can worship the One “from whom all blessings flow,” in the words of the Doxology. 

It’s Been About Giving Since the Beginning

Do you ever get annoyed when, after making a charitable contribution, you get a receipt for your gift accompanied by another envelope? That used to bother me. It seemed as if they were saying, “Thanks for your gift. Now please send some more.”

 

There's no shortage of legitimate
charitable causes and needs
worthy of our consideration.

My thinking changed after I had to start raising my own financial support while working for a Christian ministry. That’s hard work – and humbling. Initially I felt like a kind of beggar, telling potential donors that I needed to raise my own funds and asking if they would consider becoming financial partners with me.

It was extremely gratifying when many that I approached not only agreed to contribute to my support but also said they considered it a privilege to do so. They believed in me and the work I was doing, and enjoyed knowing they were a part of making it possible.

 

The issue of the reply envelope accompanying the giving receipt was resolved one day after I had noticed one of my faithful donors hadn’t sent in a contribution for a couple of months. I gave him a call to see if he was having any difficulties, or if I had offended him in some way. Not at all, he said. In fact, he apologized for failing to send a gift as usual. 

 

He explained the response envelope served as his reminder to send another gift; apparently he’d misplaced the last one he received. He thanked me for reminding him and promptly sent not only his regular contribution but also made up for the ones he had missed.

 

Years later, I’m no longer on the staff of a charitable organization needing to raise funds. But I’ve come to see the value of receiving a reply envelope for giving to causes we want to support. The envelope is convenient – looking up addresses is bothersome. I’ve actually contacted one ministry we support on a couple of occasions, asking for an extra envelope or two, just in case.

 

The greater issue, I’ve realized, is not the envelope that accompanies the giving receipt but our attitude toward the act of giving. Whether it’s our local congregation and the pastor’s annual stewardship sermon or sifting through mail we receive from non-profit organizations requesting funds, we can perceive this as an intrusion. “They’re always asking for money!”

 

However, giving has been central to God’s plan from the beginning. It’s actually introduced in the first chapter of Genesis, the Bible’s first book. “God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has seed in it. They will be yours for food.’” (Genesis 1:29). The Lord was pleased to share what He had created with the first humans.

 

Next, he provided a very special gift for Adam: “Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man, and He brought her to the man.” (Genesis 2:22). Determining the first man needed “a suitable helper,” God gifted him with a wife. To which Adam responded with the biblical equivalent of “shazam!”

 

Most of us know the most important verse about giving in the Scriptures: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” (John 3:16). Through Jesus Christ we can receive forgiveness for our sins, redemption, salvation, sanctification, and the assurance of eternal life – the gift that keeps on giving.

 

But the Lord didn’t intend for the act of giving to be one-sided. Jesus made this clear, addressing the subject on many occasions. Luke 6:38 recounts His promise, “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.”

 

When considering a charitable gift of some kind, we tend to focus on what we’re giving up. Jesus said in essence that God’s people will never become poor by being generous. This is one reason in Acts 20:35 the apostle Paul was, “…remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

 

The Old Testament book of Proverbs contains dozens of verses offering guidance in how we should give. Among my favorites is Proverbs 11:24-25, “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

 

Our motivation in giving, however, shouldn’t be what we anticipate receiving in return. Our love and devotion to God, who has done so much for us, should be our underlying motive. In exhorting believers in Corinth to cultivate lives of generosity, Paul writes, “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

 

Shortly afterward the apostle admonishes, “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7). Several times I’ve heard Bible teachers explain the term “cheerful giver” in the Greek literally means to be a “hilarious giver.”

When you have opportunities to give in support of ministries and causes you believe in, is this your attitude? Can you give “hilariously” and eagerly? Or do you give “grudgingly or under compulsion,” clinging tightly to the money or check you’ve written from your hand – or resenting the reply envelope? 

Giving is Living – Living is Giving

Giving, as represented in this portion of Michelangelo's
"The Creation of Adam," transcends time and eternity.

We live in a consumer society, drenched every day in a deluge of ads telling us about all the stuff we can’t live without. We’ve perfected the fine art of receiving. So when I read, “Giving is Living – Living is Giving,” it seemed counter-cultural. Then I thought, “That’s right!”

Not that I’m the world’s most generous person; I enjoy receiving things, even in my advancing years. But there’s a lot to be said about giving.

In 1981 I met Bob Lupton, founder of FCS Urban Ministries in Atlanta. The mission of his organization then – as it remains today – was to serve and help poor families to become self-sustaining. As I was interviewing Bob for a magazine article, he made a statement that’s stuck with me ever since: “The greatest poverty is the inability to give.”

He explained even for people with genuine needs, dignity and a sense of self-worth come from being able to give, especially for parents to provide for their children. This is why well-intended Christmas projects to give food, clothes and toys to impoverished families often fall short – the generosity of those that have unintentionally reinforcing the futility of those that have not.

When Jesus said 2,000 years ago, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), He wasn’t just introducing an idealistic philosophy. He was declaring a timeless principle that when we give, in whatever form, we also receive.

Parents experience this in giving to a child; seeing the delight in the young one’s eyes warms the hearts of mom and dad. Grandparents know this remains true as they interact with their next generation. Dedicated teachers discover this when they not only convey subject material, but also inspire students to learn and grow as individuals. Many nurses find much gratification in caring for patients, whether assisting a new mother give birth or comforting those with debilitating illnesses.

I’ve found giving to be more blessed than receiving while serving as a hospital volunteer, visiting patients who had just undergone open-heart surgery, just as I did years before. Being able to offer encouragement by telling my story and giving suggestions for their recovery process meant far more for me than if I’d been paid for my services.

The same has proved true in mentoring other men, offering my time and attention to assist in their desire to grow personally, professionally and spiritually. In giving, I’ve also received richly, perhaps more than the guys I’ve mentored.

At the same time, the blessing of giving is compromised when it becomes a requirement. That’s why the Bible teaches, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

What we all need is not a guilt trip, not brow-beating or high pressure to give, whether it’s of our time, talents, or material resources. What we do need is a reminder that living truly is giving, and giving is living. It’s about the joy – and blessing – of giving, especially to those lacking a means for repaying us for our kindness.

And also an awareness that as we give in the right ways, we are helping others to get into positions of being able to give as well, thereby extricating themselves from what Bob Lupton described as the greatest poverty of all. 

Receiving Through Giving

It's almost universal - everyone enjoys
receiving things. But are we as eager to give?

There’s not one of us that doesn’t like getting things. Christmas morning, waking up and going to see what’s in that brightly colored box with our name on it under the tree. On our birthday, getting gifts from friends and loved ones – just because we’ve aged a year. A surprise gift when there’s no special reason. Even people that don’t need anything like to receive things – Oprah; rich entertainers at annual awards shows, the President.

And our society teaches one of the secrets to happiness and security is accumulating stuff. We even spend money on insurance to make sure we don’t lose it – or at least are able to replace it. Years ago someone summed it up with this slogan: “He who dies with the most toys wins.”

So if the presumed key is to get things and hang onto them with all of our might, what’s with the biblical adage even people who’ve never read the Bible can repeat: “It is more blessed to give than receive”?

Yes, unlike “God helps those that help themselves” – which is found nowhere in the Scriptures – this admonition about giving actually is there. As the apostle Paul declared, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive' " (Acts 20:35).

This, as I noted several posts back, is another of the seeming paradoxes of biblical faith. In our materialistic culture, it might even be the greatest paradox of all. How can we gain if we choose to give away? How can you increase when you’re busy decreasing what you possess? But this principle is there, just the same. And it’s frequently reaffirmed.

Speaking to a large crowd of people gathered around Him, Jesus said, “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).

He was saying then – and still says today – if we give, freely and generously from the heart, we’ll not lack for anything. God will more than supply what we need. There’s one caveat: Our giving should be without reservation.

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8).

But it’s more than being assured if we give to help others in whatever way we’re impressed to do so, we’ll not be left destitute ourselves. There’s the intangible joy and fulfillment we receive in being used as an instrument for assisting others in need.

I’ve experienced this not only in giving money and goods, but in investing time and energy in mentoring others, helping them to grow professionally, personally and spiritually, and being a resource for them as they work through various problems and issues in their lives. Volunteering in other ways can provide the same sense of gratification.

In fact, this giving of ourselves is probably the greatest of all forms of giving. We might not all have the same incomes, bank accounts or portfolios, but we all have the same 24 hours each day, seven days a week. How we use that time is a strong indicator of whether we’re self-focused or others-oriented.

The same holds true for God, the greatest giver of all. John 3:16, which most of us are at least somewhat familiar with, states, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” That is the consummate definition of giving.