The Scriptures have much to say about how Christ followers are to give of the money they’ve been entrusted with. The people of Jesus are to give of their ‘treasure’ (according to the words of Jesus in Matthew 6), storing it up in Heaven and the Kingdom. But how are they to give? Words such as prayerfully, faithfully, sacrificially, and cheerfully come to mind (2 Corinthians 8-9).
I’ve also been encouraged by this verse towards the end of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 16:2 (CSB): On the first day of the week, each of you is to set something aside and save in keeping with how he is prospering, so that no collections will need to be made when I come.
The context is Paul is talking about the church gathering up an offering for a fellow church who is in need. And besides the kingdom-mindset principle that we learn, I also believe we learn a couple principles as it relates to our financial giving toward the local church.
- Our giving should be intentional, deliberate, thought out.
- Our giving should be in proportion to our prosperity.
Intentional and proportional.
May these two principles encourage both those who are not yet and those who already are giving to the Lord’s work.
Intentional. There should be an ongoing rhythm to our giving. Here, Paul is talking about the first day of the week, meaning, resurrection day, the day that the church historically since Acts has set aside as the day we gather to worship alongside one another. Granted in our day, giving toward the kingdom happens in a variety of ways, not just when a basket is passed on Sundays in the midst of our worship through song.
Paul is saying, here’s your heads up. Think through it, pray through it, be responsive to the Spirit, and gather up a collection long before I come. Be intentional in praying and acting on it. Not haphazard. Don’t be scrambling at the last minute. But with prayerful thought, set it aside ahead of time. You’ve been freed in the gospel, so this is not a tax or a bill. Paul is saying, I’m not showing up to manipulate or guilt you, but this is a chance to live out the words to Abraham in Genesis. You’ve been blessed in order to be a blessing.
Our giving should be intentional. It should be built into our prayerful and wise plans for where money goes (AKA: budgets). As intentional as we are to invest dollars toward retirement, equity in a home, savings, the purchase of a product, or simply the bare necessities of food and gas, we are to be intentional in investing dollars into the Kingdom. Not out of law-based thinking, but in response to the grace we have been shown by the Lord.
So how much? The Old Testament speaks of a tithe (tenth). While we are not under the law as new covenant Christians, we’ve used that in our household as a grace-based guide. Percentage giving helps us live out this next principle.
Our giving should also be proportional to our prosperity. Each of you is the phrase used in verse 3, to remind us that this is personal. While we are giving from our individual households, we are collectively and together, giving toward the household of faith and the gospel work that we have linked arms in.
And we are to give in proportion to our income. We all get paid in a variety of ways (ie: weekly, biweekly, monthly). In Paul’s day, it was, the Lord has provided this during the week through my labor, and so we bring a portion of that with us to the day of the Lord.
For a season of our marriage, here is what occurred in our lives. Our income was going up, our lifestyle was going up as a result (meaning the material nature of our lives), but our giving toward the Kingdom remained the same. Our giving remained plateaued (if not declined at times to keep up with our materials ‘wants’). Our giving did not keep in step with our prosperity.
And so what that revealed in us is that we saw our giving to the local church as simply another bill. An obligation. A set monthly amount like a 30-year mortgage that never changes even if our income does change.
But Kingdom giving is worship, its trust, its relational with the Lord and with the Lord’s people. Yes, it is intentional and consistent, it is built into a plan, but it is to be proportionate, for as the Lord blesses, we are to be a blessing. And as the Lord causes the increase, so we are to proportionally store up treasure in Heaven. For as we do, we are expressing our worshipful trust and dependence in the Lord who is the giver of all good gifts.
And church, we’re growing in this. By His grace, the Lord is stirring up a growing, generous spirit in us as His family. As the Lord brings about an increase, it means the Lord is also opening a door for increased mission and ministry opportunities both locally and globally.
Intentional and proportional.
May those principles encourage you and I, as we seek to take next steps of faith and live all of life in worship of King Jesus.
Years ago, I wrote up a blog post that detailed 15 reasons why Heather and I give of our money first and foremost to the Lord’s work in and through Crosspoint, and one reason we don’t. And whether I was in vocational ministry or not, these reasons would remain. We’ve arrived at these convictions overtime, and as the Lord has patiently and graciously grown us.
I share these with you to give you a window into our motivations and heart, and to encourage all of us in the ‘why’ of pursuing a life of generosity. Because none of us have arrived, and all of us have room to grow to reflect the lavish generosity of the Father toward us in the gospel. May we grow, not out of guilt or compulsion, but in response to His great love, grace and leading.
The Crosspoint Blog 