By Jeff Faull
Can I share the talk I had with myself recently?
I said, “Self, what few assets you possess are not really yours; they are God”s. And in these tough economic times you need to protect and use God”s money wisely.
“But where is a safe place for God”s money? Is it the bank? Is it the stock market? Are CDs the way to go? Can it bolster my sagging 401k? Should I buy precious metals? Should I hide it under the proverbial mattress or bury it in the backyard?” Perhaps you have had similar conversations with yourself in recent months.
I saw a guy with a briefcase coming out of a bank this week. I”d met him only once and don”t know his name. I don”t know if he knew me or not. As I approached the bank he jokingly said, “May as well not go in there, I already took all the money out.”
“Oh really?” I said.
“Yep,” he said, “I have $8,000 cash in here.” And he patted his briefcase.
So I said, “Now you”ve got to find a place to put it.”
He replied proudly, “I”ve got a safe and I”m armed to the teeth.”
Is that an appropriate option for God”s money? Hide it in your safe and kill anybody who tries to take it? Jesus told us the only safe place. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal” (Matthew 6:20, New American Standard Bible).
When we give to kingdom causes and lay up treasures in Heaven we put our investments in the only place where there is a guaranteed return. No Ponzi schemes, no declining interest rates, no risk, no fraud, no bubbles, no Enrons, and no Madoffs””all with the fail-safe backing of the King of the universe.
THE BEST OF TIMES?
These should be the best of times for kingdom finance. As believers, we should be moving assets at record levels to leverage them for kingdom impact.
Should we take up a special offering during these hard times? Should we increase our giving to missions? Should we step it up a notch to meet benevolence needs in our own communities? Should we expand our ministries instead of hunkering down?
Yes! Yes! Yes! One thousand times yes! I am convinced God has led us to this point. What an incredible opportunity he has given us to be oases in dry, perilous economic times. In a difficult financial season we can demonstrate our faithfulness, trust, and compassion to other believers and to the world. Our generosity can fulfill Jesus” mandate to let people see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven.
SECRET GIVING?
Unfortunately, because of the statements Jesus made in his Sermon on the Mount, many people mistakenly believe all giving is to be cloaked in secrecy and that to reveal our acts of generosity is to forfeit our heavenly reward. But Jesus was talking about motivation. There is a huge difference between giving to be seen and letting people see your giving.
Jesus also said our prayers are to be done in secret. Does that exclude public prayer? No! It excludes public prayer done for the purpose of “being seen.” He taught that fasting is to be done in secret. Does that mean we can never speak of the experiences and insights we gain while fasting?
As is so often the case, the thrust of Jesus” teaching is about the intent of the heart more than the action itself. Jesus did not condemn giving that is seen. He condemned giving to be seen. The motivations of the heart are the issue at stake.
TAUGHT BY EXAMPLE?
People need to be taught to give just as they need to be taught other spiritual “disciplines.” If church leaders are to help believers develop their gifts, then what about the gift of giving? Why do we need to set positive examples in every other arena of life but not this one? If people are not taught by example to give, they won”t know how.
Scriptural instructions to leaders include the grace of giving. (See Romans 12:6-8.) In fact, Paul said we are to excel in this activity even as we have made progress in other realms of life. He taught that generosity proves the sincerity of our love, and he used the public generosity of Christians to spur other Christians to give. At one point, Paul”s stated reason for a display of generosity was specifically so that the other churches could see it. (See 2 Corinthians 8:1-8, 24.)
The Bible is full of approved examples of open and very public giving and the strategies for accomplishing it. Again it is the motive that counts.
In the early chapters of Acts, people were liquidating assets and real estate and openly presenting the proceeds to the church leaders (Acts 4:32-37). Even Barnabas demonstrated his commitment in that way, and Luke records it for future generations. The famous gift of the widow”s mite (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4) was so public Jesus seized it as an example of sacrifice and proper motivation. Public giving is sanctioned in Scripture and can have a very powerful and positive effect on the kingdom.
Several years ago we had a very conscientious young man in our church family who was generous and faithful in his financial commitment to the church. He was extremely concerned that his giving be done in secret, so rather than placing a check in the offering plate he often dropped his gifts into a receptacle designated for contributions at the back of our worship center.
One day as he was doing this, a photographer capturing snapshots of church life inadvertently snapped a picture of the man making his weekly contribution. Guess whose picture appeared in the new church directory for all to see? It”s a good thing he has a great sense of humor.
I am inspired when I hear about a family who has learned to live on half their income in order to support a missionary. My own generosity is stimulated when I see another preacher take part of his salary to pay the salaries of several native preachers in another country. It moves me to learn of individuals who have made kingdom expenditures the single biggest monthly outlay in their personal budgets. It affects my thinking when told of those who have downsized and downscaled during the downturn in order to promote God”s agenda.
Such testimonies of blessing and sacrifice are incredible motivators to goad us to higher levels of stewardship excellence. But if those stories are hidden and never told simply because we misapply the “right hand, left hand” teaching of Jesus, we may prevent untold benefit to the kingdom and to its citizens.
OSTENTATIOUS OR BEAUTIFUL?
Admittedly, there are few things uglier than self-righteous, ostentatious, trumpet-blowing displays of giving. And we affirm the teaching of Jesus that those who give from such impure motives have their reward.
But there are few things more beautiful than honest displays of pure-hearted generosity for kingdom advancement. And we affirm the teaching of Jesus that those who give from such pure motives will not lose their reward.
Jeff Faull has served as senior minister with Mount Gilead Church in Mooresville, Indiana, since 1988. He and his wife, Valerie, have three children and one grandson. Jeff received his undergraduate degree from Cincinnati (Ohio) Christian University and did graduate studies at Summit Theological Seminary, Peru, Indiana. Jeff serves as a CHRISTIAN STANDARD contributing editor.
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