We live in a society that is desperate for balance. It seems we are constantly pitting one thing against another in search of what should take the greatest priority, what should demand more of our time, what deserves more of our attention and resources.
We’re presented with conflicting demands for our time on a regular basis…
…Work vs. school vs. family time
vs. cleaning house
vs. hanging out with friends
vs. sports
vs. developing an art or skill or hobby
vs. studying
vs. bathing the kids
vs. feeding the kids
vs. working a second job
vs. forget-it-all-I’m-going-to-bed!
The demand on our money and resources is no less exhaustive:
Pay the bills, keep gas in the car(s), stock up on groceries;
Buy new shoes for the kids;
Pay this semester’s tuition and book fees;
Oh, wait! Could you please buy some cookies my kid is selling for a fundraiser at school? Some pizza kits? Some candy bars?
Can you come to my co-worker’s best friend’s make-up party? Candle party? Jewelry party?
Let’s take the family out for dinner and a movie…
Would you like to donate $1 extra to our charity today?
Sponsor a child overseas?
Buy a $200 set of headphones for your teenager?
The demands are literally endless.
Then throw church into the mix – volunteering your time in various areas, giving in special offerings – and I can almostsee why some of us might grow weary of constantly giving of ourselves when it comes to church… Almost.
With so much demand and opportunity shoved in our faces day-in and day-out, it’s no wonder that we’ve become a society that’s afraidof giving too much. What do I mean by that? Listen to the hidden fears behind our thought patterns…
I don’t want to give too much money, in case it turns out to be a scam (What if that preacher misuses my money?)
I don’t want to give too much time, in case I regret not having kept that time for myself. (Will my family suffer if we go to church yet another night this week?)
I don’t want to give too much information, in case they’re trying to steal my identity.
I don’t want to give too much love, in case my love is rejected and my heart is trampled.
We’re paralyzed by fear… Fear of giving too much.
In our pursuit of happiness, we often unintentionally neglect to pursue one very significant aspect of the character of God: Generosity.
What do I mean by that? Let’s start with what is probably the best-known verse in the Bible, John 3:16. What does it say?
“For God so loved the world that He GAVE…”
We see throughout the Bible various displays of God’s givingnature. Whether through blessings, health, prosperity, opportunities, and most of all, the new covenant He gave when He gave His Son… We see over and over in Scripture that our Heavenly Father loves to give. He gives of Himself to us in varied, creative ways, day after day, year after year. He loves to give.
I absolutely love how the Apostle Paul summed up God’s giving nature:
He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things? Romans 8:32 (AMP)
God doesn’t hold back. He didn’t, and he doesn’t. God gives with reckless abandon.
…Or is it as reckless as it sounds? The truth of the matter is that God’s giving, while it may look reckless to us, is just the overflow of His character: Perfect Love. God can never give us too much, because everything He gives is done so out of who He is… and He IS perfect love (“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them” 1 John 4:16 NIV). When God gives, it is never out of fear, insecurity, or manipulation; it is always out of Love.
That’s why He can give without holding back, and that’s why we can, too.
All day long [the sluggard] is craving,
While the righteous gives and does not hold back.
Proverbs 21:26 (NASB)
God has given so much to me. So much of His love, His affection, His attention, His blessings, His resources…
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear… (1 John 4:18 NIV)
This is why I will never give too much to my church… Because it is impossible for me to ever give too much compared to what God has given to me. When I recognize how great His love for me is, and when I trust His love for me, then when I give of myself, I’m not giving out of fear anymore;I’m giving out of love. When I give – of my time or my efforts or my money – I’m no longer allowing myself to be afraid that my giving will go unreturned or unnoticed by God. While the church is made up of plenty of fallible people who can make mistakes and do things less than perfectly, I’m not giving for those people first; I’m giving first because it is in my nature as a child of God to reflect His character, and His character is to give. I’m giving for Him to take notice, not for them. And He will surely notice. And He will surely respond to me, because He is surely attracted to His image in me. And I know that if I’m giving my time, He will replenish my time supernaturally. If I’m giving my money, He will provide monetarily for my family and me. If I’m giving my efforts, He will renew my strength.
Nothing I could ever give could come close to matching His generosity toward me. But by my simple act of mimicking His character – by letting His perfect love flow through me and give through me – I open up myself and my family for peace and abundance like we’ve never known. Am I responsible for using wisdom in my giving? Absolutely. But wisdom works together with generosity to cause my efforts to go further. Fear works against generosity to cause me to hold onto that which I am called to give.
Wisdom looks for good ground to sow in – a church led by a pastor of integrity and accountability, a ministry with a stellar reputation above reproach; fear doubts that it is possible to trust anyone, so doesn’t give at all.
Wisdom evaluates the demands for my family’s time and determines whether missing church to be at a sporting event will yield any eternal rewards as compared to the lesson my children will learn by being faithful and consistent as a part of our local church body. Fear thinks that my children will hate me and resent the church if I “make” them come on a regular basis, instead of trusting God to use that time at church to do more in a few moments in myself and my family than I could ever accomplish on my own.
Wisdom seeks God’s viewpoint and asks what can be gained; fear embraces a reality absent of God and asks what could be lost.
I’ve decided that in my life, in general, I’m no longer going to be afraid of getting out of balance. I am going to walk in Love as much as possible and seek to do so more and more as I pursue the heart of my Father. And I know as I walk forward, fear has no place.
Perfect Love is the rule of the day in my life now.
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38(NIV)
Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. Luke 6:38(NLT)
Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.” Luke 6:38(The Message)
