Your money or your life #3: What money demonstrates about us

Here's my third question, after we've talked about the ownership and meaning of money (past 2 blogs):

• How does money demonstrate our values? Habitual generosity is more an expression of life than an option or dreaded obligation for God's people. 

I'm going to be honest about our giving, not to boast (horrors) but to show what we've experienced. Paul said others would thank God because of the generosity of God's people: "You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." (2 Corinthians 9:11) May you experience the pleasures of being part of God's flow of generosity to - and through - you!

Giving seems to be both learned and caught from others. My maternal grandma worked an extra job to support missions. My paternal grandparents helped many immigrants land on their feet, housing them, giving them money, and sharing food from their hobby farm. W's and my parents assumed that since everything belonged to God, we acknowledged that with a 10% tithe - off the top of our income, before spending elsewhere. Generous contributions were given above that for projects, the poor, etc.

My parents, relatively poor when I was born, became wealthier in middle age. They never flaunted their money to us kids. We didn't expect luxury items: Mom sewed our clothes. We kids rarely asked for money and worked to fund our interests. (I started teaching piano when I was 13.) Our folks built a house on a new - but average - street.

I remember the day Dad drove home with a new car. I was embarrassed because it felt too showy. What if my teen peers thought we were putting on airs? I complained to Dad about why on earth we had to drive such a big "boat." He smiled and said that people buying houses through his company wanted to see that he was prospering. His car expressed that.

When their money dissolved in later years, I asked Mom what she missed about being rich. "I don't miss being able to spend on ourselves. With less, it's true that life may feel uncomfortably pinched. I can live with that. But what I really miss is not being able to give during an appeal. We were generous without thinking much about it. Now we have to save and carefully monitor our spending on others. I miss giving."

That captured my attention because it reflected her heart and explained what I'd learned from my folks since childhood: it was fun to give, not just expected of us.

Giving reflects what is important to us. "Look at your checkbook and you will see your values," someone told me when I was in my 30s.

So I looked. Most checks listed the household, books, and donations. I taught piano while our kids were growing up. We'd purchased food, clothing, and kids' music lessons with that income. Called to serve at home and abroad, we tithed and helped fund cross-cultural projects as a normal expression of life.

Later, when I worked full-time for a while, it was pure joy to be a conduit of God's generosity to us! We supported many cross-cultural workers. Now others are investing in us. How cool is that? (Join our support team by asking for information here.)

Giving demonstrates what we believe, not what we say we believe. Let's get personal. Are you giving your life away or hoarding it? Living in community or living selfishly?

What would your friends and neighbors know say if they could see your expense records? What if they could monitor your outings and bank balance?

Does your management of God's resources demonstrate the values you talk about? Do your income and outlay align with the values you aspire to? With the future you dream of and hope for?

Why or why not?

Still thinking about it? Here's another post on learning to give by The Minimalist.

Read more:

*(Paul writes about giving and fundraising:) There is no need for me to write to you [Corinthian church members] about this service to the Lord’s people. For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you ... were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be. For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.

Generosity Encouraged

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.”

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9 NIV

Unsatisfied? Reconsider self-gifting

An NPR comment caught my ear: "Self-gifting is a new thing. People would never have purchased for themselves fifty years ago! That would have been considered a lack of humility."

Humility is hardly a valued characteristic in a generation that grew up singing, "I Did It My Way," or their children who hummed along to, "Break Your Heart." It's all about me, my values, my wants. MY presents! Even if I buy them myself.

Around Thanksgiving I decided to "fast" from shopping until after Christmas. Our kids could pick ornaments, china, electronics, crystal, or chatchkis from our house if they needed more stuff. They sure don't want my husband or me buying junk to pile on top of their things, no matter how nice we think that junk is or how much we spend. Do your family and friends feel the same?

I can't tell you how often I've clicked out of an online shopping cart since my spending fast began. Or how many times I've forgotten and purchased a trinket or indulgence. Last weekend, I splurged on salted caramel handmade chocolates. Not because I needed them but because my eyes desired them and I forgot about my fast. Consumerism makes it easy to splurge on self-gifts: "You deserve this." "You have looked for this for a long time." (Do three weeks feel long to you?) "It's on sale." Etc.

In contrast, God's self-gifts are unlike ours. He doesn't look for His own advantage, for what we can give Him. Instead, He spends Himself freely on us as a response of His loving character. He wants to be with us. He cherishes the creatures He has made enough to reach out to us through Jesus (aptly cliched  as "the Reason for the season.")

God refuses to be our Gimme-Genie. The biblical writer James warns, "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (James 4:3)

I've asked God for a lot of things: health, safety, money for school, and peace in the family. He's often responded with, "Yes, gladly!" But not always. Sometimes we get sick. We run out of resources. Relationships churn through difficult times. God doesn't always give us what we think we deserve or want. Faith demands trust in a God who knows what is best and right for us and those we care about.

Instead of spending money and resources on our pleasures, shall we consider giving ourselves away this month? After all, when we belong to God, we should imitate him in all things. We can gift love to the unlovable. Justice instead of self-service. Mercy instead of punitive action. Grace to the most undeserving. Friendship with the unlovely. Generosity to the poor.

That kind of self-giving is ultimately satisfying and soul-filling. Plus you skip the huge debts and financial self-immolation that hits after the holidays are over. What do you think?

Read more:
*You are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. Psalm 25:5

*Christ says, “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” Matthew 7:7

*Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35 NIV

*[In the last week of his life, Jesus said,] "Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." John 16:22-24

Moravian Prayer: O God of our salvation, eternal hope and source of strength, let our lives be a response to your steadfast love and grace. Amen.

Lent Day 21: Thankful for riches

My spiritual meditations center around riches today––not just the wealth of friends and health and life in a peaceful town. Today it's money-talk that may offend some, though I hope it points out a fatal flaw of expectation and Western culture.

When we moved to the USA, W and I were shocked at the privacy that surrounds personal money. We grew up in a small congregation that posted an annual report of membership giving, distributed to all church members with itemization for church expenses, missions, designated funds, etc. We enjoyed reading who gave what; it gave us a picture of generosity beyond salaries. It taught us the privilege of abundant giving and that everything belonged to God. We learned to celebrate the stewardship of God's people and to strive to give more than we had before.

We joke about money as the true Western god. But Jesus took very seriously God's distribution of wealth. He talked about employees receiving fair wages and not renegotiating settled agreements. He explained that those who were given much would gain more through faithful stewardship of "talents" (sometimes preached as responsibility for one's gifting = perhaps can be inferred ... but remember, Jesus was talking about money.) He invited a rich young man to leave his wealth for a life of significance.

"Oh, the Church just wants our money," people snort. Nonsense: that's a myth held over from Catholic sales of indulgences and prayer in medieval times. Most churches want to minister and keep their doors open!

Preachers and missionaries dread having to ask for money to fund basic ministries. Most church leadership hates to request support from stoney-faced and greedy congregants. Yeah, let's call us what we are.


We splurge on cars and houses and get fat on meals eaten out. Our mortgages and credit card debts prevent us from responding to missionary appeals or underwriting church costs. Our estate plans and wills make no provision for extending the kingdom.

Wealth is transient. In a day or two, the rich can lose everything and become impoverished. Natural disasters, market fickleness, and circumstances beyond our control easily wipe away treasures built on earth. A poor person can be singled out to receive money beyond their imaginations. It happens.

What we decide to do with our little or much is part of our "free will," another generous gift from God. We'd be wise not to spend what belongs to God only on ourselves or on things that don't last. God will require careful accounting from me––and from you. Let's make no mistake about it. Money only stays our dirty little secret for a while.

Most of us are thankful for money, food, housing, and all the rest of GOD'S abundance. But are we willing to take the risk to honor God with our money? Today, I'm throwing out a challenge. Let us:

• Ask God how to save and spend his provisions to bring him pleasure and build eternal wealth AND be willing to obey him as he answers.
• Pay our tithe and beyond as Jesus said, "You ought to give a tenth and more!" (Matthew 23:22-24) 
• Plan our financial future in light of eternity. People like Joni@NU can help. 
• Consider blessing worthy organizations like MRI and AGWM before we die and someone else decides what to do with our hard-earned cash.

Still unconvinced or unwilling? Read more:

*It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich. For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the LORD takes care of the godly. Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever. They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough." Psalm 37:16–19

*My child, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways. Proverbs 23:26

*Jesus, looking at [the rich young man], loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." Mark 10:21

Moravian Prayer: Generous and giving God, we confess today that we are not always good stewards of our hearts or our resources. Forgive us and help us realize all that we possess belongs to you. Create within us sharing and giving hearts. Amen.