Articles From Our Bulletins
What We Gain from Giving
As many before me have said in one way or another, “Free-will offerings aren’t God’s way of raising money; they’re one of His ways of raising children.” It’s similar to Him putting Adam in the Garden of Eden “to cultivate it and keep it” (cf. Genesis 2:15). God didn’t need a gardener, but Adam needed an occupation. Likewise, God doesn’t need our money, but we need to contribute. Why do we need to give monetarily to a local congregation? The typical response to this question is “So that the work of the church can continue,” or, “To help spread the gospel.” While both statements are true to some degree, they don’t actually answer the question asked. The question wasn’t “Why does the local church need money?” It was, “Why do we need to give monetarily to a local church?” The former emphasizes objective need of the congregation, while the latter considers the subjective need of the contributor. So, what’s the answer? There are several, actually….
We need to give monetarily to the local church to help us learn the importance of spiritual priorities, and our relationship to physical things. In Matthew 6:25-33 Jesus taught a great lesson that is easy to understand, but difficult to live. The basic principle is stated earlier in the text, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,” Matthew 6:19-21. We need to learn what’s really important in life. All too often, material “things” take precedence in our minds, hearts, and activities. But Jesus promises that if we will “seek first His kingdom” rather than attempting to build one of our own, “and His righteousness” rather than attempting to define one of our own from material thoughts and desires, that the necessities of life “shall be added to you,” v.25. Thus, giving monetarily to a local congregation of the Lord’s church helps us learn to value spiritual over material possessions, and to use our material blessings for spiritual rewards rather than the other way around.
We need to give monetarily to the local church to help us understand stewardship, and our relationship to God. The concept of stewardship is a little foreign to us, at least by that name. It is being put in charge of another’s possessions, and thus being responsible for using them in way to promote the owner’s interests and gains. In reality, it is not all that different from being in a management position with a company. The promotion and furtherance of the company’s interest are made paramount, and from the service rendered, the steward receives his living and commensurate reward, cp. Matthew 24:45-51. So, how does this work in spiritual terms? We must first understand that all blessings- whether spiritual or physical, are the provision of God, cf. Acts 14:15-17; James 1:17. Both in reality and effect, everything belongs to God as Creator and Sustainer of all things in heaven and on earth. Nothing really “belongs” to any of us. Thus, we are merely “stewards” of His possessions. Giving monetarily to a local congregation of the Lord’s church is simply using those possessions of our Benevolent Benefactor in a way that promotes His interests and furthers His cause- and that helps make us good and faithful stewards!
We need to give monetarily to the local church to involve us as sharers in fellowship, and teaches us about our relationship to our brethren. There are a lot well-meaning Christians who genuinely want to be in and feel true “fellowship” with a local congregation. Sadly, many of them attend services only once or twice a month because they’re “so busy,” and never really contribute anything- monetarily or otherwise, because they have “so many bills” and “so little time.” If you’re one of those people or families, please read and consider Acts 2:43-47 carefully. The true sense of belonging and oneness (v.44a) of mind (v.46a), heart (v.46b), and provision (v.45) is, I believe, directly traceable and proportionate to their willingness to be involved in and committed to their local congregation. They “continually devoted themselves” to worship, v.42. They studied and learned together “day by day,” v.46a. They were invested in one another’s welfare physically, vv.44-45; and spiritually, v.47. And, they had or made time for one another apart from their “assemblies,” v.46b. Obviously, the oneness and fellowship they enjoyed wasn’t achieved from being “too busy” or having “too many bills” to be truly involved in their local congregation. It wasn’t just the property they sold and contributed, but let’s not discount the importance of being willing to first give “themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God,” cp. 2Corinthians 8:1-5! To have the sense of belonging we have to first belong; and to have a true sense of fellowship we must first be in the ship. But beyond these things, we must also be willing grab an oar and start rowing by doing our part! Giving monetarily to a local congregation of the Lord’s church is certainly not all there is to experiencing true fellowship, but it does teach us much about self-sacrifice and being joint-participants (which is the literal definition of fellowship), cf.1Cor.9:23.
Finally, think about this: I’ve never found a single expectation of God for us with which complete compliance is not in our best interest. They’re not just to allow us to avoid hell and enjoy heaven eternally. They’re to help teach and mature us into better people, spouses, parents, children, employees, employers, neighbors, citizens, and brethren in the Lord! God doesn’t need the money you give to your local congregation, but you need to give it in order to enjoy all the blessings and benefits associated with being in fellowship with Him and His people.
- Giving_Gain.pdf (86.46 kB)
