Soap and Toothpaste: A Testimony About Giving

I ran across an old book the other day titled Spiritual Life Through Tithing by Ernest Thomas. Glancing through the book I saw a brief paragraph about William Colgate, the founder of the Colgate-Polmalive Company, maker of soaps and dental-care products. I thought it might be useful to share this paragraph about Mr. Colgate:

“William Colgate was a tither throughout his long and successful business career. He gave not merely one-tenth of the earnings of Colgate’s soap products; but he gave two-tenths, then three-tenths, and finally five-tenths of all his income to the work of God in the world. During the later days of his life he revealed the origin of his devotion to the idea of tithing. When he was sixteen years old he left home to find employment in New York City. He had previously worked in a soap manufacturing shop. When he told the captain of the canal boat upon which he was traveling that he planned to make soap in New York City the man gave him this advice: ‘Someone will soon be the leading soap maker in New York. You can be that person. But you must never lose sight of the fact that the soap you make has been given to you by God. Honor Him by sharing what you earn. Begin by tithing all you receive.’ William Colgate felt the urge to tithe because he recognized that God was the giver of all that he possessed, not only of opportunity, but even of the elements which were used in the manufacture of his products.”

William Colgate died in 1857 but left behind a company that is successful to this day and a college that bears his name. What can we learn about stewardship from Mr. Colgate? Many things. Colgate not only believed in tithing but also believed in giving in an increasing measure over his life. It was not enough to give a tenth—Colgate wanted to express his love for the Lord by giving an increasing amount to the Lord’s work. Also, Colgate heard a testimony about tithing from someone who believed in it. This captain of the canal boat undoubtedly understood what it meant to tithe and it was his personal testimony that encouraged Colgate. Finally, Colgate recognized that by tithing he gave back to God who was the giver of all he possessed. God owns it all and Colgate learned this important lesson early in his life.

Do you believe in tithing as a personal testimony to the Lord’s goodness toward you? I think today’s church would benefit greatly by sharing more testimonies about tithing and giving as practical necessities for the Christian. Tithing involves personal surrender and sacrifice and has the potential to help us perhaps counter the rampant secularism and materialism of our society. I would encourage you to pray how the Lord may be directing you in this area of your spiritual life. Next time you brush your teeth, remember Colgate’s testimony.

Generational Trends in Giving to Religious Causes

By far, the largest amount of charitable giving in the United States on a year-by-year basis is to religious causes. So, should we be concerned if we see shifts in certain factors surrounding this area of philanthropy?

Maybe so. The alarm sounded with the recent release of a study by the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy indicating generational changes in giving to religious causes. The story goes like this—baby boomers give less to religious causes than their parents did when they were the same age, and members of Generation X give even less. Accompanying this trend, younger people attend religious services less than their parents or grandparents. According to the study, the decline in giving may result from the decline in attendance at religious services.

Believe it or not, this is a trend that all charities watch. The reason—givers to religious causes tend to give to more groups of all kinds. If giving to religious causes declines, a potential shortfall results in giving to other groups as well.

Another barometer to watch is the annual report on philanthropy called Giving USA. Here we see that total dollars given to religious causes increased over the past 40 years, but expressed as a percentage of total giving in the U.S. religion’s share has fallen from near 46% to 32%. In fact, giving to religious organizations showed the lowest growth of all the many subsectors of charitable giving.

So, what’s up? I’m not an expert, but there are some concerns that I think we all as ministry leaders and believers should try to remedy.

First, I wonder if we have gotten away from the biblical view that possessions play a role in our spiritual development. Scripture makes it clear that the way a believer handles their possessions reveals much about their hearts. Are ministry leaders preaching and teaching this? Some may say “yes” but some also have embraced such a seeker-sensitive mindset that they might be afraid to emphasize stewardship with their congregations or supporters. As put in a new book edited by Wes Willmer, Revolution in Generosity, ministry leaders may focus on the transaction with the believer rather than on the transformation of the believer when they give. Transformation should be the focus.

Next, I wonder if all these years of capital campaigns and stewardship drives are catching up with us. When the church or a ministry spends a great amount of time in this mode, it causes the preacher and other leaders to behave like development officers of a large nonprofit organization. This could de-emphasize the biblical message about stewardship to the detriment of the long-term development of devoted stewards. The bottom line is that ministry leaders should stick to teaching what the Bible says about stewardship, about the transformation of the heart that reflects where we are in our relationship with our Lord. This is a sure way to make an impact on the finances of the organization.

Finally, I hope we can address the generational issues that are sure to arise regarding stewardship. Are we teaching biblical concepts of stewardship to the younger generations? Is there a difference in how these generations behave in giving because they have more demands for their income? I thought God demands it all, because it is His anyway. There is an upcoming generational shift of resources that will be huge according to current research. Are we showing these younger generations how they can make an impact for Christ now and how they can lay up treasures in heaven? The next generation, and the generation after that, will reflect the values that we have left them and that we have taught them. It is time for ministry leaders, church leaders, and mature Christ followers to take the lead in conveying biblical stewardship to the next generation.

Let’s practice what we preach.