You worn out yet?
Don’t worry, this is the last article in this series. Hang in there. Almost done.
You out of money yet?
Well if you’re not, read on! I’ve got even MORE to do with your giving money! Isn’t this fun!? (It is to me; I LOVE the idea that i can light up the world with Kingdom goodness with nothing more than the shrewd appropriation of cash dollas.) So far we’ve covered:
- What a blessing it is to have God trust you with money, and what a responsibility it is to be like Him and GIVE
- The fact that we’re to support our church community (whomever that might be) with them monies, and
- That we can send OUR vision and calling out into the world with our giving dough!
So now, we’re to a category that, like some of the above, has been punted by many and handed over to the local Christian religious organization. We did this because 1. They told us to, and 2. We can be kinda lazy sometimes, and offloading responsibility to a centralized organization can feel like a relief.
[This is not ALWAYS wrong; for instance, you might have a burden to give to the poor in Africa, but not sure how to do that. CART, for instance, gives 100% of donations to the intended recipients… and they know the lay of the land better than your average bear. So great! Give to them and you’ll be serving the African poor! Another example: My local church in Cincinnati did something I could never do: they created network of poverty relief organizations, pitched an idea for a centralized center where all those organizations could do their thing, raised millions of dollars to make it happen, fought the city who, amazingly, balked at it happening, then… make it happen. My family not only gives to our local church, but also to The CityLink Center it helped create. Pretty sweet.]
On the whole, I’d like to do away with that particular form of laziness, because it removes the godly pressure of responsibility from YOU. We often go, “Well I’m sure my local church does a great job of giving to the poor, supporting missions, training people in spiritual gifts, proclaiming the gospel, making disciples, etc. etc…” and, uh… 1. a lot of times they do NOT, and 2. It’s not their job to make sure you execute on all those things. It’s YOURS. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: YES support your local church… but do MORE than that. Their main concern is keeping the lights and heat on–you know, being self-sustaining. Their mission is DEFINITELY NOT the mission of your family. So don’t lazily give them your giving money (which is usually the crumbs left at the end of the year, and NOT an exciting core of your financial plan, which it should be) then be done with it. Take back your power to bless! Move that back under your own roof! Deploy dollars like little gospel soldiers to further YOUR vision and calling on the earth!
And today, we’re going to talk about one specific part of your calling, which is: expressing the heart of the Father.
You might already know this, but you’re God’s ambassador. That means, if I may just quote the Bible instead of paraphrasing, that God is making His appeal through you. He intends to use you–your gifts, your personality, your relationships, your career, your money–to explain to the world what He’s like, and make His Name glorious in all the platforms you occupy. One of those platforms, as I’ve said exhaustively in this series, is your money. Money is influence and power and possibility–and the Master wants all of yours, thank you very much.
So one thing you’re to do with your money is, simply, give to the things that are on His heart. I’m just going to give you categories followed up by scripture that backs them up, with comments at the end of each section:
Give to the poor.
So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?” He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” -Luke 3:10-11
Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. -Ephesians 4:28
Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The LORD rescues them when they are in trouble. The LORD protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies. The LORD nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health. -Psalm 41:1-3
- I want to separate this from giving to beggars. That is an impulsive thing, which is fine (see below), but isn’t what we’re looking at. This is strategic, intentional giving toward the poor, and not just to those who’re pulling on your sleeve.
- How can you give toward poor families? Ask God for connections and ideas. Look for organizations who’re making a difference in the lives of poor families, direction… or ask God to show you a poor family! Compassion International is an easy win in this department. It’s hard for me to conceive of somebody with a 40” plasma TV who wouldn’t take on a compassion child.
- God is very interested in people who give to the poor. Like, amazingly so.
Give to orphans and widows
…the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do. -Deuteronomy 14:29
But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted. You consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. -Psalm 10:14
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. -James 1:27
- These days, orphans are found in our foster system. Give money to these programs for their support, and even…
- Pray to the Father about fathering foster kids yourself.
- Widows are mothers who’ve lost their husbands. In my mind, this includes single mothers (either by death, abandonment, or having children out of wedlock). Ask God to show you “widows” who need your financial support, or organizations who center on that demographic. Including:
- Give to crisis pregnancy centers. We KNOW that most of the women who seek out pregnancy intervention (and are considering abortion, God forbid it) fall into the category described above. Giving to crisis pregnancy centers is a clear way to support these women.
Give to Christians in prison for their faith
I was in prison and you came to visit me … I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. -Matthew 25:36, 40
Keep on loving each other as brothers… Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. -Hebrews 13:3
- Local prison ministries are routinely overlooked, because they bring in almost zero new people to local congregations. Obey these passages and represent your Master.
- I found Voice of the Martyrs in my 20s and have joyfully given to them ever since. They find persecuted believers, including imprisoned pastors around the world, and care for them. FanTASTIC organization.
Give impulsively
Give, and it will be given to you. A large quantity, pressed together, shaken down, and running over will be put into your lap, because you’ll be evaluated by the same standard with which you evaluate others. -Luke 6:38
Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give! -Proverbs 21:26
Be sure to give to them without any hesitation. When you do this, the LORD your God will bless you in everything you work for and set out to do. -Deuteronomy 15:10
- God loves a cheerful giver! So look for places to give! One of my favorites is, when I walk into a McDonalds for breakfast or a Chipotle for lunch, walk straight to the register and say, “I’ll pay for everybody’s order in front of me.” It can be embarrassing… but it’s very fun!
- People who need money will mostly not ask for it. If you see somebody counting pennies at the register at the grocery store, or is super stressed about a $15 tab… just say “I’ll take this whole order on mine.” Then smile at the person and the cashier and say, “Jesus cares about all of us.” Or when you meet a young person and you want to encourage them… slip them a $20 and say, “Jesus sees how hard you try. Keep going.” This will probably have a greater impact on them than 10 sermons.
- See somebody broken down on the side of the road? Help them! Yes, help them physically… then pay for their flat to be repaired, or their tow truck, or their gas…
- We should be like the Puritans: “stingy with our beds, but promiscuous with our money”!
Finally…
I hope you feel inspired. Giving is a MASSIVE POWER Your Father put into your hands.
I hope you feel (godly) pressure. Keeping your stuff to yourself isn’t an option.
I hope you feel… a little overwhelmed. There are SO many things you can do with giving $$$.
Lastly, I hope you feel RESPONSIBILITY:
Surely you can see that, with so many reasons to give, so many places to give to, and so much that the Father as packed inside YOU and your family, specifically, holding your breath and writing a check to your local religious organization is INSUFFICIENT and UNSATISFACTORY behavior for a son of the King! It’s just not enough at ALL! Deploying resources is one of the basic skills required for somebody who has ambitions to someday rule cities…
I entreat you, man of God! Engage! Become a fountain of life in your giving! Be a faithful ambassador of the King, sending out His love and provision in every direction! Be a provider for the fatherless, a hope for the poor, a blessing to the righteous prisoner, a broadcaster of vision, a support for your community of faith, and a reflection of your Great God!
GIVE MAN OF GOD! GIVE!!!
