This is the second part of What the Bible Has to Say About Money: Giving. Yesterday, in part 1, we touched on the subjects of blessings for the giver and having the proper attitude in giving. Read along today as I talk about where to give and how much to give.
Where to Give
There are obviously a number of different places we can give today. There is of course our local church, secular charities and Christian ministries. So, how do we choose where to give first and so on?
According to the author of Dollars and Doctrine, Rob Kuban, there is no where in scripture that sets giving priority for us, but Kuban presents a good case for giving to our immediate church family first.
The best answer I can give to this question is that we should always be giving to the work of the Gospel in the world, but never at the expense of those who minister to us. Giving to a Para-church organization, ministry, or Christian non-profit is an excellent, honorable, and Godly action, but is never to be done in a way that neglects our immediate church family’s needs.
During the early stages of giving my wife and I were a little bit confused as to where we should direct our giving. There are a few Christian ministries near and dear to our heart in which we wanted to help support financially. But we also knew we needed to be giving to our church. So, we prayerfully made the decision to give our first fruits to our local church and to stretch our giving further by supporting other Christian ministries.
Now, there is another important question to ask: should Christian giving go to secular charities? There are a lot of good charities out there that focus on helping people and are doing good things in society.
The scripture refers to the money that we give to be set apart because “it is holy to the Lord.” (Lev. 27:30)
My belief is in-line with what Rob Kuban mentioned in his book on this subject as well. If you are a Christian, I think it is wise to contribute your extended giving to places where they are working to minister to others in their work.
I believe the Bible requires our contributions to be “Christian.” Our giving is to be in places where the glory of God through the pursuit of Christ is of first importance.
All that being said, if you feel compelled to give to a secular organization, or participate in a charity event such as a run in a race for a disease; I think it is perfectly fine to do so as long as you keep giving to your local church in first place.
Giving to the needy
Giving to the needy has been another conviction for my wife and me. Beyond giving to our church, we have felt compelled to do more for those who are in need. One of the most convicting or sobering scriptures about giving to the needy is found in Matthew 25: 34-45.
45 He will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.
There are a number of ways in which you can stretch your giving beyond your local church. Obviously, Jesus had a warm heart towards those in need. Personally, my wife and I have found a local ministry focused on the homeless that we can give to each month in addition to our regular giving.
How much to give
This is probably one of the top questions I receive as a Money Map coach and one that I can never exactly answer for people. I can certainly tell them what I do, but ultimately a giving decision is between you and God.
I think it’s important to start with the subject of financial stewardship and refer back to the question: who is the owner of money? We know from 1 Chronicles 29:11 God is the owner of everything.
We shouldn’t ever give thinking the money is ours, or that the remainder after giving is ours. It’s all still God’s and should be managed wisely for His kingdom. That’s why I see giving as a component of good financial stewardship because that money, God’s money, is going to further the growth of His work.
I’ll wrap up this subject with a profound excerpt from an article by Crown on the subject of whether or not the tithe is the limit.
Most people need a starting point. As well as I can tell, God never asked less than a tenth from anyone. But if 10 percent bothers people, there no reason why they can’t give 11 percent, 12 percent, or twice as much if they so desire.
The law of grace means we’re not compelled to do anything by virtue of a written law. It is unmerited and unearned favor. But grace is not a license to do nothing. As Paul said in Romans 7:7, the law was given to show us sin. We, who are under grace, can surely outdo those who gave according to the law.
So it’s important to know that we are under no giving law because of God’s grace. But God still calls us to give! I want to encourage you look at the money you’ve been given. Listen to what God tells you through prayer and His word on how much you need to direct back to Him and furthering His kingdom work.
How do you feel about where to direct your giving and how much to give?
Each of the posts from the Bible and Money series are based on principles discussed during Money Map Coaching sessions and the Money Map Coach participants’ guide. You can learn more about Money Map Coaching at Crown Financial Ministries. You can also visit my Money Map Coaching page.
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