We believe healthy Christians give generously to see the Kingdom of God advance, not only through their local church but through the Church around the world. But why is regular joyful financial giving a sign of spiritual health in us? Why is stinginess and lack of giving a sign of spiritual decay within us?
First, giving helps us remember that we belong to God. If God created us, called us to salvation, sacrificed Jesus for us, and continues to perfect his good work in us, we as believers belong totally to Him. Our lives are not our own to pursue desires apart from God. Titus speaks of “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” A healthy believer has a desire to serve the master we belong to. Have you asked for the Holy Spirit to cultivate in you a desire to serve your King?
Second, giving helps us tear down our idols. We see the command to avoid idols positioned constantly throughout Scripture. The apostle John ends his first epistle with the simple instruction, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” Yet as John Calvin once said, “The human heart is a factory of idols.” We are skilled at making idols out of nearly everything, but one of the most common idols is wealth. Perhaps this is why Jesus spent so much of his earthly ministry addressing the issue of money. When we joyfully give away our wealth, we demonstrate that the idol of wealth has less hold on us. Giving helps us demolish the stronghold that the idol has built within our hearts. Conversely, when we don’t give, we allow the idol a warm place to grow and consume our affections.
Finally, giving takes the focus off of self. Let’s be honest and admit that our sinful nature is to value our own needs over those of others. Philippians 2:3-4 instructs us to “in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” This is a command we naturally struggle with. We tend to look to our own needs first and even make idols out of ourselves. Giving is one step toward helping us prioritize the needs of others. Through giving, we begin to see the needs of others in general but, more importantly, the greater kingdom of God as being our first priority. We see the bigger picture. We see the world through the lenses of God and trust that He will them sustain us and provide for our own needs. Our life is not about us but about bringing glory to our Lord and King.
What is one way you can practice the discipline of giving this week in order to give greater glory to God?