Love, give, offer, pray!
Peter Adam
September 2022
How should we use our money?
We have the following Biblical responsibilities:
- Household and family
‘Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest’ [Proverbs 6:6-8].
‘Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever’ [1 Timothy 5:8].
- Taxes
‘So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s’ [Matthew 22:21].
‘Give everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes’ [Romans 13:7].
- God’s global gospel plan
‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’ [Matthew 28:18-20].
‘Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need …I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God’ [Philippians 4:15-18].
- Your church
‘the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor’ [Galatians 6:6].
‘The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honour, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain”: and “The worker deserves his wages”’ [I Timothy 5:17,18].
[Galatians 6:6].
- [Your church outreach: you might give extra if your church has a costly outreach program]
- [Australia: you might support other gospel ministries in Australia]
- Overseas
- Other good works
‘Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress …’ [James 1:27].
‘Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers’ [Galatians 6:10].
You might want to do this, or you might decide that other people of good will support these, so you won’t. To give, you could support one organisation regularly, or set aside some money to give in cases of emergencies.
We should do this with our annual income and so annual expenditure.
|
$ ? |
$ ? |
$ ? |
$ ? |
$ ? |
$ ? |
$ ? |
|
Household, family and future |
Taxes |
Your church |
[Your church outreach] |
[Australia] [CMS NT?] [BCA?] [Ridley?] [MST?] [AFES?] |
Overseas CMS Other |
[Other good works] |
|
………….…God’s global gospel plan……………… |
||||||
We should do this when we write our Will.
|
$ ? |
$ ? |
$ ? |
$ ? |
$ ? |
$ ? |
|
Your family |
Your church |
[Your church outreach] |
[Australia] [CMS NT?] [BCA?] [Ridley?] [MST?] [AFES?] |
Overseas CMS Other |
[Other good works] |
|
………….…God’s global gospel plan……………… |
|||||
It looks difficult to sort out our priorities in these matters, but in fact we exercise these skills every day in the use of our time and energy and interest. We balance relating to family; extended family; church; neighbours; people at work; old friends; people who are not yet Christians; and people with common interests. We already know how to balance many responsibilities!
Money: the dark side!
Money is a useful gift, but it has its dark side as well, and we should heed these warnings.
Christ said:
‘But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort’ [Luke 6:24].
‘The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature’ [Luke 8:14].
‘Then then the rich man said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you’ [Luke 12:18-20].
‘No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money’ [Luke 16:13].
Paul wrote:
‘No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God’ [Ephesians 5:5].
Be warned!
What should be our attitudes and actions when we give our money?
Gratitude and thanks to God!
‘Everything comes from you, and we have given only what comes from your hand’ [1 Chronicles 29:14].
We should offer all we are, and whatever we have to God every day, in sacrificial worship!
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship [Romans 12:1].
Loving, giving, and praying flow more easily from us if we offer our bodies, through God’s mercy, as living sacrifices to God, every day. ‘Today, I offer myself to you as a living sacrifice, through your mercy, that I may be holy and pleasing to you, through Christ, my saviour’. This is our daily duty, our daily dignity, and our daily joy!!!
Our giving should be our priority, not our left-overs!
‘Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God’ [Exodus 34:26].
Our giving should be cheerful, not reluctant, resentful, or stingy!
‘God loves a cheerful giver’ {2 Corinthians 9:7].
We should trust God for our needs!
‘My God will supply all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus’ [ Philippians 4:19].
We should give sacrificially!
‘I will not sacrifice to the LORD burnt offerings that cost me nothing’ [2 Samuel 24:24].
We should give generously: we are investing in eternal rewards, not temporal and temporary pleasures!
‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’ [Matthew 5:19-21].
We should give trusting that ‘God is no one’s debtor’!
‘Whoever sows sparingly with also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously’ [2 Corinthians 9: 6].
We should trust that God is honoured in the smallest gift which is the greatest sacrifice!
‘Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on”’ [Mark 12:43,44].
We should be organised and intentional in our giving!
‘Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God’ [Exodus 34:26]. [Again!].
‘On the first day of the week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income …’ [1 Corinthians 16:2].
We should give with a positive and open heart of love for God and love for our neighbours!
‘Love the LORD your God with all your heart, and all your mind, and all your soul and all your strength … ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ [Mark 12:30,31].
All our giving is an expression of loving God, and loving your neighbour. Love sweetens our giving.
Giving and praying
Make sure that whenever you give money, you pray for those who receive it, and pray that it will serve God’s good purposes. Pray for the government when you give taxes; pray for your church when you give money; pray for every global gospel ministry that you support; and pray for those who benefit from your giving to people in need.
Love sweetens our giving, and prayer gives purpose to our giving, and expresses our confidence and desire that God will use our giving for the benefit others, and for his glory.
Of special value is that giving and praying that focus directly on God’s global gospel plan.
Of course our giving of money is just one aspect of our wider giving to God and giving to others, in love and service.