I came across this post regarding objections to giving to the poor.

Giving to the poor always seems to be one of those sticky issues that polarize, but that needn’t be the case.

Giving, especially to the poor, when rightly filtered through the lens of the Gospel, is a great way to glorify God and show others the love of Christ.

Consciously or subconsciously, we each have objections to giving to the poor that we must recognize.  When we see exactly what our issues are with giving, we can rightly correct our view.

Below is B. B. Warfield‘s response to three common objections to giving to the poor as quoted in the great book by Tim Keller, Ministries of Mercy:

Objection 1. “My money is my own.”

Answer: Christ might have said, “my blood is my own, my life is my own.” Then where should we have been?

Objection 2. “The poor are undeserving.”

Answer: Christ might have said, “They are wicked rebels . . . shall I lay down my life for these? I will give to the good angels.” But no, he left the ninety-nine, and came after the lost. He gave his blood for the undeserving.

Objection 3. “The poor may abuse it.”

Answer: Christ might have said the same; yea, with far greater truth. Christ knew that thousands would trample his blood under their feet; that most would despise it; that many would make it an excuse for sinning more; yet he gave his own blood.

Oh, my dear Christians! If you would be like Christ, give much, give often, give freely, to the vile and poor, the thankless and the undeserving. Christ is glorious and happy and so will you be. It is not your money I want, but your happiness. Remember his own word, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Other Posts About Giving and Generosity

• What Jonathan Edwards Teaches Us About Giving to the Poor – Part 1
• What Jonathan Edwards Teaches Us About Giving to the Poor – Part 2
• How Should We Help the Poor?
• 3 Powerful Things John Wesley Teaches Us About Money
• 5 Reasons You’re (Probably) Not as Generous as You Should Be
• Should You Give Money to a Homeless Person?
• Should You Wait to Give Until You Have Enough Money?
• What Does It Mean to Store Up Treasure in Heaven?
• 10 Things Christians Must Do With Their Money

This is our third article in a series that takes a look at how a proper understanding of the gospel should influence how we manage our finances. In the first article, we examined the fact that we are now slaves of Christ, and merely stewards of God’s resources. Then, in the second article, we took a look at our response to God’s grace – gratitude – and how it should shape our financial management.

Now we will take a look at another truth of the gospel, that should have a major impact on our finances. The gospel is a call to faith and obedience, in which we are empowered to be imitators of Christ! In a number of places in the New Testament, we find this command:

“Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” ~ 1 Corinthians 11:1

“You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit” ~ 1 Thessalonians 1:6

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children” ~ Ephesians 5:1

We are saved by God’s grace – in part, being transformed from being salves to sin, to now being slaves of Christ. Thankfully, God has also given us His Holy Spirit, in part to aid in our sanctification! That means that we are now being conformed to the image of Christ, and we are commanded to be imitators of Christ!

Since many books have been written out this subject, I’ll only focus on how this should impact our money management.

Willing To Give Up All He Had For Our Benefit

When Christ left heaven to take on the form of a man, in order to redeem His bride, he put aside much. Take a look at what the bible says about Christ becoming a man:

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ~ Philippians 2:5-8

…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. ~ Matthew 20:28

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

Jesus Christ came down to earth and did not try to hold on to all of His divine attributes when He took the form of a man. We are told that He became a servant, and gave His life for many. He humbled Himself to the point that He was willing to temporarily give up “equality with God“, endure human hardships and temptations, live a perfect life, and become sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21)!

Here is how John MacArthur describes Christ’s self-emptying (kenosis):

This was a self-renunciation, not an emptying Himself of deity nor an exchange of deity for humanity. Jesus did, however, renounce or set aside His privileges in several areas:

1. 1) Heavenly glory – while on earth He gave up the glory of a face-to-face relationship with God and the continuous outward display and personal enjoyment of that glory (cf. John 17:5)
2. 2) Independent authority – during His incarnation Christ completely submitted Himself to the will of His Father (cf. Matthew 26:39; John 5:30, Hebrews 5:8)
3. 3) Divine prerogatives – He set aside the voluntary display of His divine attributes and submitted Himself to the Spirit’s direction (cf. Matthew 24:36; John 1:45-49)
4. 4) Eternal Riches – while on earth Christ was poor and owned very little (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:9) and…
5. 5) A favorable relationship with God – He felt the Father’s wrath for human sin while on the cross (cf. Matthew 27:46; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

~ The MacArthur Study Bible, pg 1792; notes on Philippians 2:7 (emptied Himself)

Imitate Christ’s Willingness To Give Up All

Jesus Christ was willing to give up all that He had in order to fulfill the Father’s will. That needs to be our attitude as well. We should be willing to give up all that we have – money, position, prestige, rank, power, and wealth – in order to further God’s kingdom, and to fulfill His will!

In our last article, we talked about a number ways in which you can be show your gratitude for God’s grace. At least two of those areas can lead to great ways for us to be imitators of Christ!

Giving to the local church

When it comes to God’s plan, he does much through the local church. We are taught God’s word by the faithful men who serve as elders/pastors/overseers – Ephesians 4:11-12 tells us that God gave gifts to us in the form of pastors and teachers, so that we would be equipped to serve God, and built up!

Here is what the bible says about financially supporting these men:

The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” ~ 1 Timothy 5:17-18

Also, the church is the institution that trains and ordains preachers, supports missionaries, and works to spread the gospel! Another obligation of the church is to provide support for “widows indeed” (those who fit the qualifications of 1 Timothy 5:3-10).

None of those things can be done unless we, as members of the body, learn to imitate Christ and be willing to give all that we have to fulfill God’s will.

Now, before anyone thinks that I am advocating that all Christians sell everything they have and give it to the church and live together in a compound, consider this: It is God’s will that we work hard (2 Thessalonians 3:6-13), provide for our household (1 Timothy 5:8), and even pay taxes to the ruling government (Romans 13:1-7). You can’t be in God’s will if you are not doing these things along with supporting your local church!

In order to further God’s kingdom, and to support the church for which Christ died, and is also its head, we must be willing to give of all that we have!

Helping Those In Need

This is another way in which we are to imitate Christ. He humbled Himself and experienced the anxieties and temptations that come with living a human life (cf. Hebrews 4:15 and Matthew 26:36-44)! The triune God (The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) was perfectly complete and satisfied before creating the world and the human race, yet, Christ still humbled Himself and took the form of a servant, in order to redeem us!

We should be willing to humble ourselves in such a way, to help out a brother or sister. We should constantly look for ways to help out one another, whether though our church, or individually.

We are commanded to:

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important that [our]selves. ~ Philippians 2:3

In order to do this, we must be willing to give up some of the riches and possessions that we would be able to acquire if we used all of God’s provision on ourselves!

However, the point is that we must be will to live a meager life if it means that we have a larger impact on the kingdom because of it. We know that God will always provide for us, so we should never allow fear or selfishness to deter us from doing God’s will.

What You Can Do To Manage Your Finances As An Imitator Of Christ

• Examine your heart for any areas of pride and selfishness, repent of those sins, and ask God to help you be humble and selfless
• Study all of the scripture quoted and referred to in this article and meditate on them daily
• Look for opportunities to serve in your local church
• Make sure that your lifestyle isn’t stopping you from financially supporting your church and/or helping others
• Make giving the most important line item in your budget
• Examine all of your purchases and monthly bills, and ask yourself if you can cut back in some areas in order to put God first
• Read the first two articles (part 1 & part 2) in this series and meditate on the scripture listed there
• If you have any questions, be sure to leave a comment

This is our second article in a series that takes a look at how a proper understanding of the gospel should influence how we manage our finances. In the first article, we examined the fact that we are now slaves of Christ, and merely stewards of God’s resources.

Now, we will take a look at the means of our salvation – God’s grace.

Saved By Grace

A major truth of the gospel is the fact that we are all sinners who have transgressed the law of God, and therefore are deserving of hell.

God is perfect, holy, and righteous, meaning that He cannot be in the presence of sin, nor can He overlook it. In Exodus 34:6-7b we find the following description of God’s character (given by God Himself):

Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;7who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished…

The fact that He is just and righteous means that He must punish those who break His law, and His holiness and purity prevent Him from having fellowship with anyone of a sinful nature.

All Men Continually Sin Against God

Since we all commit sin and have a sinful nature, there is nothing that we can do to earn God’s favor or forgiveness. In Psalm 14:2-3, we are told that…

The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.

They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt;there is no one who does good, not even one.

Also, in Romans 3:23 we are reminded that, “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God“!

It Is Impossible For Us To Reach God’s Standard

Just in case we still think (after reading the descriptions of God and man above) that we can somehow live a righteous enough life in order to please God and cause Him to overlook our sins, the bible also has this to say:

For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. ~ Isaiah 64:6

Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. ~ Matthew 5:48

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. ~ James 2:10

This means that it is impossible for anyone to do anything to earn God’s favor. God’s standard is perfection, and one sin is enough to incur His wrath. Furthermore, we are sinners by nature and could never life a sinless life!

The Perfect Substitute

However, because of God’s love for us, He extended His grace toward us by sending Jesus Christ to “become sin for us” and bear The Father’s wrath against our sin on the cross!

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:21

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ~ Romans 5:8

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities…All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. Isaiah 53:5a & 6

But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:10a,11 & 12c

As you can see in the passages above, Christ took all of our sin upon Himself on the cross, and it pleased God the Father to pour out His wrath against our sin. Jesus Christ bore the punishment and wrath of our sin on the cross and then the Father raised Him from the dead to show that He was satisfied (see 1 John 2:1-2) with the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf.

In order to have the sacrifice of Christ “applied” to our account with God, we must come to God realizing that we are sinners who deserve His wrath, and there is nothing that we can do to please Him. Then we are commanded to believe by faith, all that the bible says about God, our sin, our nature, and the only means of salvation (see John 14:6, John 3:36, & Hebrews 2:3). After which, we are “born again” and given a new nature, so that we are now able to be obedient to the will of God and all that His word commands:

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ~ John 3:3

The fact that we have been born again, transformed, and given a new nature, means that we now have the power to obey God’s word, and to defeat sin! God has taken us from weak, dirty, defiled people who were His enemies (Romans 5:10), to those who “overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37)!

Sanctification And Serving God

What’s so amazing about our salvation is that we not only have been saved from God’s wrath, and given a new home in Heaven, but we are being sanctified (made holy and set apart for God’s use) so that we can glorify God! As I mentioned above, we have the ability to overcome temptation and sin, and instead, work to fulfill the will of our new master!

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. ~ Ephesians 2:10

Look at how Paul explains our new life in Romans 6:

4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.

14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

So, as part of our sanctification, we are made free from the bondage of sin, and given the power to walk in a new, full life, devoted to pleasing our new master!

Amazing Grace

Of course, the subject of the gospel, salvation, and God’s amazing grace cannot be contained to a single article or even a book. But, even with the things we’ve looked at so far, I can’t help but to be amazed and overwhelmed by God’s love and grace toward unworthy sinners!

Our salvation was all of God and none of us! There was nothing that we could do to deserve it, and there is nothing that we can do to keep it! It is simply because

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. ~ Ephesians 2:8-9

Gratitude: Our Response To God’s Grace

As Romans 6:19 (written out above) says, we are to, “present [our] members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification“. In response to God’s grace, we are to submit ourselves as living sacrifices to God (cf. Romans 12:1), devoting all that we have and all that we are back to Him!

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. ~ Colossians 2:6-7

The bible says that we are to be “overflowing with gratitude“! This gratitude should make us willing to give up all that we have for the sake of Christ and His kingdom. Instead of just being slaves and stewards, we now understand the extent of God’s grace, and that fact makes us jump at every opportunity to serve Him!

We must allow our gratitude toward God’s love and grace to compel us to honor the Lord with our finances! Hear what the Apostle Paul had to say about being controlled/compelled by Christ’s love:

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died ~ 2 Corinthians 5:14

The first thing that should change once we consider God’s amazing grace is that we should commit everything in our possession to God! We said last time that we are slaves of Christ, and as such, merely stewards of His provision. However, now that we understand grace, we are to go running to God, casting all that we have and all that we are at His feet!

Helping Those In Need

We should be so generous with our money, because we are motivated by our gratitude toward God! We should be eager to help the poor, making it a priority to seek out opportunities to bless others! When we think about God’s grace toward us, it causes us to manage our money with a sense of humility – especially toward one less fortunate than us!

If someone is in a rough situation due to their own poor judgment or financial mismanagement, instead of assigning blame and feeling self-righteous – as we walk away without offering assistance – God’s grace toward miserable, wicked sinners will cause us to look at our brother with love and compassion.

Giving To The Local Church

Also, this gratitude should motivate us in our giving to our local church! We should be cheerful givers, excited because we have an opportunity to give something back to God, after understanding just how much He gave to us! By supporting the institution which has Christ as its head, we take part in the dispensation of God’s grace!

We help to support the preaching of God’s word, the edifying of believers, fellowship, missionaries, and any other program your church believes will honor God!

What Christ did for us on the cross should cause us to drop any apprehension we have about obeying God’s command to give double honor (basically, meaning greater esteem and monetary support) to the elders of the church who rule well.

In Our Purchases

Our gratitude toward God should motivate us to only make wise purchases with His money! We shouldn’t take the attitude that since we work hard to earn “our” money, that we should be able to spend it on whatever indulgences we wish!

We understand that in God’s grace, he made provision for us to be able to support ourselves and our families, and also support the work of His kingdom. Each purchase should be examined to make sure it lines up with those purposes!

In Our Homes

How we manage our money – especially in regards to giving – can be a great opportunity to remind ourselves of God’s grace. It can also be a great teaching opportunity – similar to how the Israelites used eating the Passover meal in order to teach their children about God’s deliverance!

If every purchase has to be examined, and giving is a priority, God’s grace will continue to hold an important place in your home, heart, and lives, and God will be glorified!

Practical Steps To Allow Grace And Gratitude To Govern Your Finances

• Meditate on all that salvation involves (God’s holiness & justice, our sinfulness, Christ becoming sin for us, the Father pouring His wrath out on the Son, etc) daily!
• In all of your prayers, thank God for His gift of grace!
• If you have had a self-righteous attitude toward your brother who was in need, repent of that sin and ask God to change your perspective in light of His grace.
• Make giving to your local church the priority line in your budget.
• Make sure every purchase is examined to make sure it is motivated by gratitude.

Pray about this often – don’t let it leave your mind as soon as you go on to read the next article. Make sure that you are living a life that honors God in every aspect (1 Corinthians 10:31), especially with your finances!

Just about every Friday, I meet with a friend for prayer, accountability, and fellowship.  We talk about our struggles and take our spiritual temperatures every week.  I leave encouraged and challenged to live more like Christ.

Today I want to help us think about temptation in our own lives regarding money, and how to overcome temptation to keep more of what we make, rather than live with radical generosity.  Hopefully you will be encouraged and challenged to live more like Christ.

It’s easy to think since we worked hard for our money that we can do what we please.  It’s much more difficult to live with open hearts and open hands.

Malachi 3:8-9 says,

Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.
(Malachi 3:8-9 ESV)

So how can we avoid temptation to rob God?

Go Back to Your First Love

This morning I came to the realization that much of my struggle with sin is a result of me not loving Christ the way that I should.  Jesus addresses this when he talks to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:

I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil…But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.

This church lived the Christian life well by doing good things, however, they forgot their first love.  They forgot about Christ. 

Remember that we are freed to be radically generous because of Jesus’ costly sacrfice for us.

Make Giving a Priority

Verse 10 in Malachi 3 gives us a tip on how to avoid temptation to rob God:

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

You can avoid robbing God by giving radically.  Make giving a priority in your budget.

Set Up Your Giving Systematically

My wife and I recently set up our giving on a systematic basis.  We would often forget to write a check.  It’s not that we didn’t want to give or didn’t view it as a priority, we simply would forget.

Setting up our giving on a systematic basis was a key for us, and can be key for you to avoid temptation to not write the check.

Tell Someone Your Plan to Give

If you plan to avoid temptation and overcome struggles, you cannot do it alone.  The Christian life is meant to live in community and fellowship.  We need each other.

If you plan to change, then tell someone you trust your giving plans. 

“Information with application through community leads to transformation” – Mark Driscoll.

What are Your Thoughts?

Share below how you have removed the temptation to rob God.

A couple weeks ago we started looking at the teaching of Jonathan Edwards on money and giving to the poor.  In part 1 we saw Edwards’ challenge to think more deeply about the poor and how our giving could be done more:

• Generously
• Cheerfully, and
• Dutifully

For a man who lived nearly three centuries ago, he offers some great insight on giving that is very relevant for us in our society.  Here’s what we can learn from him in part 2:

Giving to the Poor Shows God’s Heart for the Underprivileged

Edwards doesn’t pull any punches.  He challenges our American Dream mentality by saying things like:

Tis the most absolute and indispensable duty of a people of God to give bountifully and willingly for the supply of the wants of the needy.

In Edwards’ mind, giving to the poor is a non-negotiable.  And it’s something done with a willing heart, just like the Father’s heart of love for the poor, weak, and marginalized of society.

To help them, and to contribute to their relief is the most natural expression of this love.

Giving to the poor is a great witness to the world of God’s radical love for us.

Love Without Action Doesn’t Demonstrate God’s Love

Edwards wants us to understand something very fundamental when being a minister of mercy.  If you only love others with the Word, and do not meet their physical needs, that is not love at all.   This is not how God loves us.  His love is very action-oriented.

Edwards says,

It is vain to pretend to a spirit of love to our neighbors, when it is grievous to us to part with anything for their help, when under calamity.

They who love only in word, and in tongue, and not in deed, have no love in truth. Any profession without it is a vain pretense.

Let’s Love Others As Much As We Love Ourselves 

We love ourselves enough to hardly allow our situation to become unbearable without reaching for help. 

We shouldn’t allow the poor’s circumstances to prevent us from giving.  We should rather put ourselves in their shoes.  If roles were reversed, would we not want others to help us sooner rather than later?

To refuse to give to the needy, is unreasonable, because we therein do to others contrary to what we would have others to do to us in like circumstances.

We are very sensible of our own calamities. And when we suffer, [we] are ready enough to think, that our state requires the compassion and help of others; and are ready enough to think it hard, if others will not deny themselves in order to help us when in straits.

In part 3 we’ll look at what Edwards says about our motivation for giving to the poor.

What Are Your Thoughts About Edwards and Giving to the Poor?

Jonathan Edwards is perhaps the greatest American preacher to have ever lived.  It’s hard to find someone more often quoted, referenced, and revered in American church history than Edwards.

Most famous for his, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” sermon, Edwards had a deep compassion for the poor. 

Though he lived nearly 300 years ago, he offers some great insight in terms of generosity and charity that we would do well to consider.

In his sermon entitled The Duty of Charity to the Poor, Explained and Enforced dated 1732, Edwards offers some challenging words.

Giving to the Poor Should Be Done Generously

It is the duty of the people of God to give bountifully for the aforesaid purpose. It is commanded once and again in the text, “Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy poor brother.”

Merely to give something is not sufficient. It answers not the rule, nor comes up to the holy command of God. But we must open our hand wide. What we give, considering our neighbor’s wants, and our ability, should be such as may be called a liberal gift.

What is meant in the text by opening the hand wide, with respect to those that are able, is explained in Deu. 15:8, “Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his want, in that which he needeth.”

By lending here, as is evident by the two following verses, and as we have just now shown, is not only meant lending to receive again; [for] the word lend in Scripture is sometimes used for giving; as in Luke 6:35, “Do good and lend, hoping for nothing again.”

Giving to the Poor Should Be Done Cheerfully

Edwards says:

It is the duty of the visible people of God to give for the supply of the needy, freely, and without grudging. It doth not at all answer the rule in the sight of God, if it be done with an inward grudging, or if the heart be grieved, and it inwardly hurt the man to give what he gives.

“Thou shalt surely give,” says God, “and thine heart shall not be grieved.” God looks at the heart, and the hand is not accepted without it. 2 Cor. 9:7, “Every man according as he hath purposed in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

Giving to the Poor Should Be Done Dutifully

Edwards says that giving to the poor isn’t something that we simply do to be nice, it is a command of Scripture:

This is a duty to which God’s people are under very strict obligation. It is not merely a commendable thing for a man to be kind and bountiful to the poor, but our bounden duty, as much a duty as it is to pray, or to attend public worship, or anything else whatever. And the neglect of it brings great guilt upon any person.

How Should We Respond?

Notice that Edwards says it is as much a duty to give to the poor as it is to pray or worship.  Those are strong words!  So how should we respond?

1. Repent from any lack of generous giving – this probably means recognizing there will need to be lifestyle changes and a reorientation back to the gospel.
2. Commit to God and to others (friends, family, a pastor, etc) that you’ll start giving generously – leave a note in the comment section if you’d like to share how you plan to change.
3. Start living with open hands and open hearts – create a generous budget and find people you can help (whether a single mom struggling to make ends meet, or an elderly neighbor on a fixed income, or someone else)

Share your story of giving in the comments below to motivate and encourage the rest of us!

Check out Part 2 Here!

Let’s face it.  If you live in America, you are rich.  

Sure, there are exceptions like those who can’t afford food or shelter, but generally speaking, if you compare yourself to others around the world, you are filthy rich.

American Christians are among the wealthiest believers to have ever lived!

There’s nothing wrong with being rich, but to whom much is given, much is required.  And God has some very specific things to say to us rich Christians. 

In 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Paul tells Timothy to give Christians an admonition.  

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
(1 Timothy 6:17-19 ESV)

So let’s take a look at 10 things God wants us rich Christians to do:

1. Don’t Be Haughty

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty,

Haughtiness is defined by Merriam Webster as blatantly and disdainfully proud.  It essentially points to a stereotypical rich snob, who feels they have more self worth than others because they have more net worth than others.

Paul says, don’t be arrogant because you have assets!

2. Don’t Put Your Hope in Money

nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches,

It’s funny how we feel more comfortable and at ease when our bank account is full, and much less comfortable when our bank account is empty.

Those are natural feelings, but where do they come from?  Many times it’s because money is our idol and we put our hope and trust in our cash instead of the Sovereign Creator of all things. 

3. Put Your Trust in God

but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

God is the One who promises to take care of His children.  Everything we have ever earned, received, or worked for is a direct gift from Him.

He is the One we look to for our hope, faith, and trust – not wealth.

4. Enjoy Your Money

who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

God created us to glorify and worship Him by enjoying Him forever.  We enjoy Him by enjoying the things He has given us.

If you eat a great, perfectly seasoned and grilled steak, and you thank Him for giving you the taste buds to enjoy the flavors – that is worship!

God gives us money to enjoy as well.  Use it to glorify Him by enjoying what He’s given you, and always remember Him as the source!

5. Do Good

They are to do good…

Use your money for good things, like helping others and giving to the poor.  Dont’ just spend lavishly on yourself.

6. Be Wealthy With Good Works

…to be rich in good works,

Instead of constantly trying to dream of ways to build wealth with your business or work, dream about how to build wealth in terms of your good works towards others.

7. Be Generous

…to be generous,

Generosity should be the mark of every Christian, especially rich Christians.  After all, Christ gave up all the riches of heaven to become poor so that we (through his life, death, and resurrection) might become eternally rich!

8. Be Ready to Share

…and ready to share,

You become ready to share by getting rid of generosity killers like debt, greed, pride and busyness! 

9. Store Up Treasure in Heaven

thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future,

What does it mean to store up treasure in heaven?  Back in those days, Jews would’ve understood treasure in heaven to mean deeds of mercy and deeds of kindness to those in need.

We build great wealth in heaven by eagerly helping the poor, needy, and distressed of this world.

10. Hold Firmly to True Life

take hold of that which is truly life.

True and lasting life is an eternity spent with your heavenly Father who loves you and sent His Son to die for you. 

Jesus lived the perfect life that you and I never could to make atonement for sins we have committed. 

He died a gruesome and horrendous death on a cross – one that you and I deserved to die.  And yet, He laid his life down willingly.  For the joy that was set before Him, he endured the beatings.  He scorned the shame of a Roman cross – for you.  He went to that hill to die and all the while He whispered that He loves you.

That is what we cling to, not our wealth.  Not our money-making plans, or our business ventures.  Those things aren’t wrong, but they aren’t true life!  Look to Him.  Look to Jesus – He is the source of True Life!

This was a post I originally did for ChristianPF.com, you can check out the original here.

If you one day find yourself in the fortunate position of coming upon a large sum of wealth, you may be at a loss for what to do with it.

Sure there are plenty of choices: spend it, save it, invest it, and so on, but what if these options aren’t enough? Is there some additional way you can put your money to good use?

Yes, in fact, there is. You could give it away to someone who needs it more than you.

Avoiding Lifestyle Inflation

Often, when a person experiences a significant increase in income, whether it be through a raise, inheritance, etc., the first instinct is to increase spending as well.

This is fine when you really needed the extra money to put toward an important expenditure–like a newer, more reliable car, or an apartment that accommodates your growing family — but spending more just because you can, doesn’t accomplish anything worthwhile.

When you find fortune, be thankful, but resist the urge to be wasteful. If your emergency savings or retirement fund are lacking, add to them.

If you are a savvy investor, take advantage of the opportunity to earn higher returns with a larger investment sum. Then, when you feel financially secure, decide who else could really benefit from a little extra dough.

Gifting

One option for giving away money is to “gift.” The term doesn’t just refer to giving someone a present, it’s actually associated with a specific set of rules surrounding giving another person a large amount of money.

The government isn’t going let you simply hand over huge a wad of cash to another person for free. When you do so, it’s often subject to a gift tax.

The IRS describes the gift tax as, “a tax on the transfer of property by one individual to another while receiving nothing, or less than full value, in return.

The gift tax applies whether the donor intends the transfer to be a gift or not.” So really, if you give someone anything of significant value without receiving something equal in return, even if it’s not actual money, you will need to be aware of the tax implications.

If you file as a single person, you may give up to $13,000 to an individual tax-free in 2010. The gift tax exclusion amount when married, filing jointly is $26,000. Generally, the donor pays the tax. There are, however, a few instances when a gift is not taxable:

• The gift amount is less than the annual exclusion amount
• You pay tuition or medical expenses for someone else
• You gift to your spouse
• The gift goes to a political organization for its use

Donating to Charity

Another way to share your wealth with others is to donate to a charity. Just about everyone has a cause that’s particularly special or important to them, so donating to a charity that shares your values and goals can be especially rewarding.

Kimberley Palmer of U.S. News details the various ways you can donate and also recommends how to do so effectively.

Instead of haphazardly giving here and there, really consider what matters to you most, identify an organization with the same focus and then learn everything possible about the cause.

This way, you will feel a true connection to the group you’re giving to and understand how you can help them best. After donating, follow up with the charity or organization to find out how your money is being put to use and encourage others to contribute as well.

Money is a great thing to have and you shouldn’t feel guilty if you have more than others. However, you will probably find that sharing your good fortune with those in need is much more satisfying than spending it on needless things.

This guest post was written by Go Banking Rates, bringing you informative personal finance content and helpful tools, as well as the best interest rates on financial services nationwide.

This was an original post I did over at ChristianPF - you can check it out in its entirety there.

My wife and I recently built a new home and moved in a few months ago.  It feels good to be done with the process!

There are some good financial lessons to be learned from building a home.  If any of you have done it, you know what I’m talking about.

There’s a lot that goes into building and each step needs to be done in a certain order otherwise nothing will get accomplished!

The same can be said for our personal finances.  We need to have a good plan and make sure things get done correctly, otherwise we’ll be spinning our wheels.

So, here are some lessons learned from the building process and a blueprint for all of us to build our financial house:

Footings

Under every house is a foundation, and under most foundations are footings. Footings are extremely important because they are the basis on which the foundation is laid. 

Improper footings will not allow the foundation to withstand the give and take of the soil.So what are the footings in personal finance?

Giving

A heart of generosity and a willingness to let go of our own stuff to meet the needs of others is one of the footings on which we build our financial house. 

Why? Because God was so generous to us – therefore that characteristic should flow through us as well.

I know what some of you are thinking, “But I don’t have enough money to give” – well certainly there are other things you can give, like time.  But let me ask you – how much have you prayed about your giving?  Have you considered selling things you do have to help meet the needs of others? 

Giving is a critical footing that we must not simply ignore.

Proper Attitude

An attitude of stewardship - not ownership – should be a key footing as well. In other words, as stewards we should desire to make more money, get out of debt, and get our spending under control because we are handling God’s money – not ours.

When we realize that we are to be responsible managers for God’s currency and that our money is simply a conduit of grace, we can begin to have the proper motivation to get a handle on our money.

Foundation

The foundation is the next crucial piece to building a house.  The foundation for constructing a well-built financial house are things like cash flow, emergency funds and a commitment to getting rid of non-mortgage debt! 

Cash Flow

This is simply your income minus expenses. 

Why is this so important?  Because the secret to getting ahead financially is that there is no secret – spend less than you make.  Everything else hinges on this very point.

Emergency Funds

This also is extremely important because inevitably things come up.  Cars break down, roofs leak, furnaces go out.  So you must have the ability to pay for the emergencies without racking up credit card debt.

Framework

Framing is one of the exciting parts of building a house.  You finally get an idea of what the house will be like.  It’s also key because you need the proper beams in the right places to support the house.

Paying off  Non-Mortgage Debt

Credit cards, car loans and the like are mole hills in a garden.  Working hard at getting rid of those types of debts will help free you to give more, save more and invest for your future.

Insurance

Proper insurance coverage is your support beam for your financial house.  This includes reviewing and acquiring proper health, home/auto, disability and life insurance. 

Let’s take for example life insurance.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions when purchasing these policies, so you need to make sure you ask the right questions before you buy life insurance.

Exterior Shell – Roof, Brick and Windows

Now this is where building really gets fun and the house begins to take on the character of what you were envisioning when you began the process.

In personal finance the exterior shell would be things like:

Saving for Retirement 

Funding your 401k plan, IRA or Roth IRA is a big step toward getting your financial house in order.  This is the fun part!  Seeing these accounts build up and realizing that you are saving toward a long-term goal is exciting.

Saving for Other Goals

This could be college savings for your kids, saving for a rental home or even your first house.  Having the ability to sock some cash away for these things is a great feeling.

Final Touches

Getting the drywall in and painted, the flooring and carpet in and making some final touches on the inside is when the house comes together and you’re just about ready to move in.

From a financial standpoint some of these final touches may include things like:

Tax Diversification 

This simply means utilizing your investment accounts from the best tax perspective so that you’re not left holding a huge tax time-bomb in retirement. 

You may want to consider shifting your savings around to help diversify yourself from a tax stand point.

Investment Strategies

At the beginning, it’s good to just get saving.  But as you progress and your account balances begin to grow, you may want to re-evaluate your portfolios to determine if you should employ more sophisticated investment strategies to help maximize your returns and minimize losses.

Something to Remember

Building a house is a process that takes time, effort and energy – and things don’t always go as planned.  Don’t get discouraged, and keep plugging away.  The end result will be well worth it!

Yesterday we set the stage for the topic of tithing and Christian giving.

Today we want to delve a little further into giving and try to answer this question, “How much should I give?”.

We are going to take a bit of a journey to get there, but that’s where we’ll end up.

This post might be a little controversial for some, and downright uncomfortable for others – but that’s exactly what I’m hoping for.

Ready?  Let’s go!

Why Tithing is Such a Polarizing Topic

A reader yesterday commented that he never realized tithing was such a polarizing topic – and you know, he’s right.

Why is it that Christians get so worked up about the concept of giving and tithing.

I think the answer lies in the reason why Jesus spoke so much about money and possessions – because money has a way of subtly blinding us to what’s really important!

The topic of giving is controversial because in our heart of hearts we want to clutch our possessions with tight grips and we don’t want anyone telling us we need to give things up!

C’mon, be honest – what’s in the very depths of your heart, the place that you don’t anyone to go?   I know what’s in mine - selfishness.

We want things for ourselves - don’t leave me hangin’ here…

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Why We Want to Know Exactly How Much to Give

Alright, so we are selfish by nature.  We naturally want things for ourselves and our hearts are little idol factories - and money is one of our greatest idols we treasure!

So if we ask the reason why we want to know how much to give, what do you think our answers would be – so we can make a budget, it’s good planning, God tells us to purpose in our heart what to give might be a few answers?

Those are all good things and very accurate – but here’s my theory of why we want to know exactly how much to give:

Because you and I want to know the minimum requirement we can give to God and still make Him happy!

Too many of us are working on a To-Do List with God; so we give our 10% (although we know that it’s really much less than that on average), check it off our list and feel good about ourselves that we gave God his money.

We view tithing as some sort of tax that God is exacting from us and we think if I give Him this money then He’ll bless me because I did what I was supposed to do.

Why the New Testament is Eerily Silent About Percentages

Have you ever wondered why percentages are not mentioned in the New Testament?  I have.

I mean, if it’s so important why didn’t Jesus say, “Give x%!” or the Apostle Paul when he was writing half the NT didn’t just once say, “Well you know Ephesians – you are to give x% so let’s keep it up!”

I believe that it’s silent because if it gave a percentage we would give exactly that percentage and no more.  We would satisfy the minimum requirement.

In Order to Excel at Giving You Must Do This First

There’s a great passage about giving in 2 Corinthians 8:1-9 that I will highlight later in this series, but I want to take a look at verses 3-5:

For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

Ok, so here’s what’s going on – Paul is writing to the Corinthians urging to excel at giving (v.7) and he gives the Macedonian church as an example of excelling in giving.

But notice what he says about those Macedonian believers – they gave themselves first to the Lord.

What we need to do before we give anything is we need to surrender!

We need to surrender our hearts, our lives and our idols to God!  We surrender our finances to Him, we give up our conrol over our lives and we let go of all the stuff we want to clutch so tightly to.

That means, if you are a believer – you get down on your knees, repent of anything that you’ve placed above Him in your heart.

And it means if you are not a follower of Jesus, you carefully consider what He said and surrender your heart for the very first time to Him!

God wants our surrender because He loves us and He knows what’s best for us - we’ve been created in His image to worship Him and He knows that He is the only thing that can truly bring peace and lasting joy to our lives!

Understanding This Truth Will Help Excel Us in Giving

I like what Tim Keller says about giving:

The solution to stinginess is a reorientation to the generosity of Christ in the gospel, how he poured out his wealth for you!

Here’s what will help us answer the question of how much:  The Gospel!

2 Corinthians 8:9 says:

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

Look to Jesus – by His sheer act of grace He gave up all the riches of heaven to come to earth, live the life that you never could and died the death that you should have.

He gave up everything for your sake, so that you might experience those same riches of heaven – not wealth, but true riches!

One of the reasons we don’t give more is because we don’t see the great grace by which God has saved us and we don’t trust that God is good and He’ll provide for our needs.

Thankfully Jesus didn’t “tithe” His blood or we’d all be in big trouble!

So how much should we give?  As much as we possibly can – it’s the least we can do.

Questions to consider

Readers, do you think we should always be looking to give more and more by increasing the percentages that we give?

Do you think we should set a percentage and as long as we give cheerfully then that’s good enough?

Will you change your giving habits, if so how?