Why Should I Give?

Have you ever wondered …

Why does the church want my money?

Am I just paying membership dues or something?

Does the church need my money just to pay the building maintenance costs or church workers?

What does the church do with my money?

These initial ponderings lead to some serious reflection: Why should I give? How should I give? How much should I give?

Today we will answer the question – Why Should I Give?

From the very beginning we each need to be reminded that God does not need your money – God could make money if he wanted. One of the reasons we give money is because of what it does in our own hearts and lives. God changes us through giving. He makes us more like himself through giving. Photo Bible Study 2 by DrGBB

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9, NIV)

We think money is something we own. Money can be ruled and can be mastered. But if money is not ruled it will rule. It will master. Money is always either mastering or being mastered – it is never neutral.

““No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24, NIV)

In this context Jesus is teaching about true discipleship. He is answering the question: What does it mean to really follow Jesus? Jesus chose money as the example to illustrate. He chooses money because Money seeks to compete with our following of Christ. Money tries to encourage me to walk away. Did you ever notice that the New Testament often talks about money in a similar way as it does with idols? It is something that can hold a form of power over our lives. It can control you – your interest, your energy, your commitment, your time. Money is not a neutral, passive thing that simply exits. Money is more than just words and images on a piece of paper.

Money wants us to trust in it. To find our peace in it. To find our hope in it. Wants us to love it. Wants us to work for it. Wants us to need it. Wants us to feel bad when we don’t have it. We know there is a competition between God and Money because God wants us to trust him. To find our peace in him. To find our hope in him. To love him. To work for him. To need him. To feel bad when we don’t have him.

Here are four of the many, many positive things that happen when we give:

1. We identify and exemplify that God is our source of trust, peace, hope, love, desire, and need.

2. We imitate Christ (2 Cor. 8:9).

3. We remove Money from a Ruling position and Relegate it to a Servant position.

4. Have an opportunity to help others as we show the love of God (2 Cor. 9:11).

Many of the thoughts and ideas in this post were influenced by: