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. 

Resolving the Giving Conundrum

We’ve just passed Giving Tuesday, the last of the pecuniary “triplets” of the Christmas season, following the Black Friday and Cyber Monday opportunities for eager shoppers. Giving Tuesday is probably the most important of the three, with so many charitable organizations dependent on the generosity of their supporters.

 

This issue of giving can be a bit perplexing for me. I’m not reluctant to give charitably, but so many causes deserve consideration. How do we respond to a seemingly unlimited number of possibilities with limited funds for giving?

 

My mailboxes – both email and snail mail – have been deluged by solicitations to support a wide range of needs, from hospitals to the homeless, from discipleship to diseases, from missions to Christian media. Unless you’re a millionaire – even a billionaire – you can’t support them all. How do you choose?

 

Searching the Scriptures won’t provide specifics, like ‘Support XYZ Ministry’ or ‘Give to That Foundation.’ But in His Word, God does provide clear principles on the how’s of giving, if not necessarily the what’s and the who’s. The Lord’s greatest concern, I’ve concluded, is not who benefits from our giving but the motives behind our giving.

 

Giving and generosity can be difficult to discuss, but something stirs when we hear heartwarming stories of generous, unselfish acts. The response to recent hurricanes is one example. While government agencies seemed to be spinning their wheels at times, debating what to do, individuals and Christian organizations like Samaritan’s Purse were quick to take action.

 

But we don’t have to wait for calamities to occur. Generosity can and should be a normal part of everyday life, like breathing and eating. While one doesn’t have to be a follower of Jesus Christ to be generous, giving becomes part of our “spiritual DNA” when we become “new creations in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

 

It was Jesus Christ who declared, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). He also addressed this ‘reciprocal’ aspect of giving in another 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).

 

It would seem, according to Jesus, that if we’re willing to share from the resources the Lord has provided, He’s quite able to replace what we’ve given with more – so we can continue to be involved in this divine cycle of generosity. 

 

I’ve had the privilege of meeting and writing about numerous individuals whose commitment to giving was lavish by any standard. Industrialist R. G. LeTourneau practiced a “reverse tithe” – giving away 90% of his income and keeping 10% – rather than ‘give 10 and keep 90’ as it’s traditionally taught. 

 

Entrepreneur Stanley Tam, who died in 2023 at the age of 107, explained in his book, God Owns My Business, how he arranged to legally give 100% ownership of his company to God, with all profits used to support charitable causes and mission work. When I interviewed him, Tam quipped, without boasting, “I shovel out, and God’s shovels in. And God’s got a bigger shovel.” Wise counsel indeed from someone who practiced what he preached. 

 

Most of us, of course, aren’t in a position to take such bold steps. We may not have the spiritual gift of giving, which those men definitely had. But this doesn’t excuse us from being generous whenever God sets opportunities in front of us. Which brings us back to the conundrum: With so many worthy causes, how do we decide which to support personally?

 

Most would agree we each should start with our own churches, where we’re ministered to through worship services and other programs, and want to support their work. But I don’t believe they should be the only recipients of our charitable gifts. 

 

There’s no exact formula for singling out other beneficiaries. But we can rely on God’s leading through His Spirit, as well as recognizing which causes we feel particularly passionate about.

 

Over the years I’ve found two Bible passages especially instructive. One of them is 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 which says, “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. 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.” 

 

The word “cheerful” could literally be translated as “hilarious.” I think of the closing scenes of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, in which transformed Ebenezer Scrooge begins bestowing his wealth on others rather than hoarding it for himself. Having abandoned his miserly ways, Scrooge becomes giddy upon realizing how generosity can enhance the lives of others.

 

If we’re giving grudgingly or feeling compelled to do so, that doesn’t please the Lord. He wants us to give freely – and excitedly.

 

One other verse also is helpful in reminding us that giving is not a seasonal activity. In 1 John 3:17 we’re told, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” This doesn’t mean having to respond to every panhandler we encounter, but the Lord can give us the wisdom and discernment in how best to steward the resources He has entrusted to our care.

 

If God loved us so much that He gave His own Son for our salvation and redemption, how can we refuse to give as He guides?

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 . . . Until It Helps

One thing I like about social media – and admittedly there are things I don’t like – is what you can learn that doesn’t make headlines in traditional media. For instance, author J.K. Rowling (you’ve heard of her “Harry Potter” books, right?) is reported to have become the first billionaire to fall from the Forbes World’s Billionaires list – because of charitable giving.

Lots of rich folks have been deleted from the list simply because they no longer possessed a net worth of more than a billion bucks. But apparently, Rowling’s the first to be eliminated because she’s too generous. Seems that rather than being a free spender, she’s become a free giver.

The report said she offered a simple explanation: “You have a moral responsibility when you’ve been given far more than you need, to do wise things with it and give intelligently.”

I don’t know about you, but this seems like the proverbial breath of fresh air. There are other mega-wealthy individuals known for their largesse, notably Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, who donate huge percentages of their incomes to causes they support. And just because Rowling’s now been “downgraded” to the ranks of multi-millionaires doesn’t mean she’ll have to fret over becoming a ward of the state any time soon.

But in these days when we hear so much about the needs of the oppressed, the down-and-out and the disenfranchised, it’s refreshing to hear about someone who’s as interested in doing something about it as saying something about it.

I know virtually nothing about Rowling. (I may be one of the few people who’s never read a Harry Potter book, or viewed one of his movies for that matter.) So I don’t know what sorts of charitable causes she favors. But at least she’s acting on her convictions enough to become a member of the “I Used to Be a Billionaire” club.

Chances are, you’re not a billionaire. So it would be easy to offer the excuse, “Well, if I were a billionaire, I’d give a lot of it away, too!” But we’ve all heard of billionaires and millionaires that share a common attitude toward their money: “It’s mine, mine, mine!” It seems how much you have isn’t really the determinant of how generous you are.

Rowling was hardly the first to recognize a responsibility for using one’s resources to help others. Jesus Christ made this statement about 2,000 years ago: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more” (Luke 12:48).

Elsewhere, in preparing His disciples to go out on their first missionary foray, Jesus told them, “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8).

So even if we’re not a Rowling and never will be, the underlying principle is worth considering. For example: How do you feel when the pastor starts talking about money during his sermon, teaching what the Bible says about financial stewardship? Or when you’re watching a PBS drama or seeing a video of “golden oldies” music, and they have the nerve to interrupt your enjoyment of the program by asking you to support the network?

Do you think, “Well, that preacher done stopped preachin’ and started meddlin’”? Do you feel resentful that they would ask for your money? Do you protectively reach for your wallet or purse, as if they were planning to snatch it away from you?

Yes, we all have needs – along with our share of wants. But if we have a car, a decent place to live, a computer and access to the Internet, we’re wealthier than most people around the world. So it’s not a question of whether we can give. The issue is, are we willing to give?

So while pondering the “moral responsibility” to give, perhaps it might be good also to consider the privilege we have of giving to assist those with needs we don’t have. We just might discover the reality of what Jesus asserted: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).