Marsha's Musings: On Giving

2Co 8:7 ¶ But as you abound in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us--see that you abound in this grace also.

"This grace" refers to giving. Paul says that we should abound or excel in this grace of giving to the needs of other fellow-believers.

2Co 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

Our reason for excelling in the grace of giving should be because of Christ's own gift to us.

2Co 8:11 but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have.
 12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.

God expects us to give with a willing heart, cheerfully and from what we have.  He does not expect us to give money we don't have, or to make commitments of money we know we don't have access to. 

I have a small soap box on this issue.  There have been occasions when a church will have need to raise money for some cause, whether it be a building fund, a missions project or missionary support.  Now there is nothing wrong with asking people to dig deep in their pockets and make commitments to offer monthly support or one time gifts towards the cause without expecting them to go into debt to do it. 

But I have problems with the idea of bringing in a special speaker for several meetings to preach on giving, to whip the people up emotionally for the final meeting where a big thermometer will be erected and slips of paper passed out for people to put their amount on that they will commit too.  As the thermometer dollar amount rises, if it stops below the goal that is set, then the people are admonished to see if they could give a little more.  A prayer time might even ensue to secure the amount to reach the goal.  In the emotion of the moment people up their amounts beyond what they know they can realistically give, but they are assured that if they give in faith, God will provide the funds for the gift. 

I wonder, is this really faith or is it presumption?  The reality of the issue is that as time passes, the gifts don't all come in as promised as some people  over-committed and can't give as much as they said they would.  Before long the church can not cover the short-fall and has to cut the support  down to the missionary.  This hurts all around.

It hurts the missionary who is depending on this money for his mission and his lively-hood and it hurts the giver who was assured that if he gave in faith over and above what he could afford God would provide.  The giver wonders if there was something wrong with his faith or may begin to doubt God.

It is better to encourage people to give out of what they have, cheerfully and generously not out of guilt because they might be the one who keeps the goal from being reached.  It is better for the giver as they will be more able to keep their commitment and better for the missionary or cause because then the true financial picture will be seen and plans can be made accordingly.

.