“I’ve always said that one of the most boring things to do with money is spend it,” expressed philanthropist Robert Wilson in a recent article from The Chronicle of Philanthropy. I had to check myself on this. After paying the recent round of bills, I realized Mr. Wilson’s statement contained more than an ounce of truth.
Well, what about giving money away? Does it have to be boring? Are my decisions to give filled with joy and anticipation, or with routine angst? As a Christ follower, I would like to suggest that both your spending and giving could be joyous opportunities with a fresh perspective.
The lesson comes from the passage in 2 Corinthians 8:1-7 dealing with the generous giving of the Macedonian churches. Reading this passage reveals an equation that doesn’t make sense: affliction = abundance + abounding. According to this passage, joy and liberality in giving was produced out of affliction. The Macedonian churches gave beyond their ability to support the ministry of the church planters led by Paul and Titus. This resulted in an abundance for the work and an abounding in knowledge, diligence, and love.
The key appears in verse 5—they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to the church. Many times when we teach the basics of stewardship we begin with the concept that God owns it all. Well, He does (Psalm 24) but stewardship training may be more effective if we teach to give ourselves to the Lord first. Giving ourselves means surrendering our wills to His will, putting the Lord first in all the things we do. Seeking His will in prayer, through the reading of God’s Word, and through fellowship with other believers contributes to our model for stewardship. The Macedonians gave themselves first to the Lord and look at the abundance that they gave out of their poverty.
I know the thinking—that if God owns it all, we will not argue about what to give. But if I do not first give myself to the Lord, then how will I know that He owns it all and that He wants me to support His work? My encouragement to the next generation of Christ Followers is to first give yourselves to the Lord, then to the work of the ministry of the church, and you will see great things happen in your stewardship and in your walk with the Lord.
