Thursday, June 10, 2010
More thoughts on giving...
We have an incredibly narrow view of giving. If we expect God to bless us in order to give more to Him -- as opposed to give more to ourselves -- we need to understand what it means to give.
Obviously checks written for ministry is one way to give more. Your church giving might include the regular contribution, special gifts for missions, benevolence, or a building fund. You might give to ministries not specifically affiliated with a local church (Herald of Truth, Christain Homes, or other parachurch ministries).
You might give to non-profits that do more generic ministry such as a university or a civic club, though I personally do very little of this because I favor projects that are more directly connected to Jesus (just my opinion).
God may put individuals in your life to support. At various times we have given to individual missionaries, out of work Christians, helped on medical bills, and those kinds of ministry.
But our concept of giving can be larger. For several years we kept an extra car. It wasn't worth much, but we let others use it for weeks or months at a time. You might want to consider the money you spend on a larger house as giving to God if you use it for God. Do you buy a larger house so all of your kid's friends can hang out in a Christian enviornment? By the way, you don't have to have a big house to do that, but it helps.
what about groceries to feed others (like the kids hanging out at your house)? Could a lake cabin be a gift to God? How do you use it? If you make it available for retreats, study, and a Christian place for you and others to refresh for Christian service... then perhaps it is giving. How about treating a single Mom and her kids to a meal out with you and your family?
God might even make you independent financially with the expectation that will use all you time in service to Him.
The point of asking God to bless me is for me to have resources to use to further kingdom business and bring glory to God. So -- bottom line (pun intended) -- limit what you spend just for you and ask God to bless you above and beyond that to use for Him.
To paraphase my good friend James (he wrote extensively about Christians and money): ask God for anything and He will give it to you... unless you want to use you on yourself.
Obviously checks written for ministry is one way to give more. Your church giving might include the regular contribution, special gifts for missions, benevolence, or a building fund. You might give to ministries not specifically affiliated with a local church (Herald of Truth, Christain Homes, or other parachurch ministries).
You might give to non-profits that do more generic ministry such as a university or a civic club, though I personally do very little of this because I favor projects that are more directly connected to Jesus (just my opinion).
God may put individuals in your life to support. At various times we have given to individual missionaries, out of work Christians, helped on medical bills, and those kinds of ministry.
But our concept of giving can be larger. For several years we kept an extra car. It wasn't worth much, but we let others use it for weeks or months at a time. You might want to consider the money you spend on a larger house as giving to God if you use it for God. Do you buy a larger house so all of your kid's friends can hang out in a Christian enviornment? By the way, you don't have to have a big house to do that, but it helps.
what about groceries to feed others (like the kids hanging out at your house)? Could a lake cabin be a gift to God? How do you use it? If you make it available for retreats, study, and a Christian place for you and others to refresh for Christian service... then perhaps it is giving. How about treating a single Mom and her kids to a meal out with you and your family?
God might even make you independent financially with the expectation that will use all you time in service to Him.
The point of asking God to bless me is for me to have resources to use to further kingdom business and bring glory to God. So -- bottom line (pun intended) -- limit what you spend just for you and ask God to bless you above and beyond that to use for Him.
To paraphase my good friend James (he wrote extensively about Christians and money): ask God for anything and He will give it to you... unless you want to use you on yourself.
