Giving That Feels Good

The author of Hebrews instructs us to:

Hebrews 13:16 NLT

16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

The Proverbs remind us:

Proverbs 11:24 NLT

24 Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.

And in the NT, Paul writes to the churches:

2 Corinthians 8:1–3 NLT

1 Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. 2 They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. 3 For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will.

Over and over throughout the Bible believers are encouraged, reminded and commanded to give generously because everything we have comes from God:

Romans 11:36 NLT

36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

So it is only right that all of life should be offered back to Him.

These beautiful, biblical depictions of generosity are in contrast to what seems to be a mundane practice:

Write a check, hit a submit button on an app, drop a few pieces of paper in a plate.

At times, tithes and offerings seem an awkward matter for churches:

It can be challenging to address by leadership

Uncomfortable for the congregation

Even guilt inducing at times.

Still, there’s a grace, there’s joy and connection to be found in our generosity.

Why are we talking about this?

It’s Biblical to encourage good stewardship.

We need to know how to be good managers.

God wants to bless our generosity.

We begin with our motivation. (everything begins with motivation!)

For a long time, it’s felt to me like there was only one kind of message in the church when it comes to giving: guilt. As we’ll see in a moment, that motivation might have some short-term impact but it’s not the best reasons to encourage the church to give.

There are basically five motivations to give.

#1: Guilt - (I “Have To”)

2 Corinthians 9:7 NLT

7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

Cheerful = the Gk. word we translate “hilarious.”

God is cheerfully laughing right along with us when we give with joy in our hearts!

I’ve never seen anyone look cheerful when they’re made to feel guilty.

The strength behind the guilt motivation is that is, in fact, effective in the short term. But guilt rarely lasts and so does its power to motivate us.

#2: Responsibility (I Ought To)

2 Corinthians 8:7 NLT

7 Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.

Perhaps you know these stats about giving in churches.

21% of Christians consistently give 10% or more to their church.

10% consistently and regularly give less than 10%.

45% give inconsistently and a varying amount.

25% give nothing at all.

While it’s better to approach giving because we recognize our responsibility, at the same time an “ought to” mentality limits our joy and likely limits the amount we’re willing to give.

We get a legalistic “I’ve done my part” attitude.

#3: Needs-Based (I Want To)

2 Corinthians 8:13–15 NLT

13 Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. 14 Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal. 15 As the Scriptures say, “Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough.”

When we know about a need, it prompts us to be generous and provide for others.

T&C is excellent at this.

Giving to satisfy needs is good. It demonstrates a cheerful and loving heart toward others. It doesn’t rely on compulsion, there’s no reluctance on our part.

But what if we don’t see the need or agree with it? What if the stated need doesn’t tug our heart strings?

#4: Thanksgiving (Can’t Help It!)

2 Corinthians 9:11 NLT

11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.

Paul wants us to supply the needs of people but not to stop with that motivation.

The greater goal is giving with thanksgiving.

This is way of thanking and praising God for all He has done.

This kind of giving causes others to thank and praise God, too!

Our hearts are pointed towards God and we have a tangible way to show it. We have to be careful though, not to limit our perception of thankfulness.

If we aren’t aware of our blessings, we can tend not to be as thankful. This may well limit the extent of our willingness to be generous.

#5: Worship (It’s My Nature)

2 Corinthians 8:5 NLT

5 They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.

The Macedonia Christians were an example of the unique nature of this kind of giving.

They worshiped God through their generosity.

Their financial decisions flowed out of their relationship to the Father.

When it’s our nature to give,

Giving is a "confession of the gospel"

2 Cor. 9:13 “13 As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.”

Giving is an act of trust

1 Tim. 6:17-19 “17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.”

Giving is an offering to God

Phil. 4:18 “18 At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.”

Worship is the highest possible motivation. It creates true commitment, pleases God and allows so much work to be done to advance Jesus’ kingdom.

And it feels good, too!

It’s vital for us not to settle for anything less than God best motivation for our giving.

As we grow upward from this motivation game plan, our joy will soar, and our efforts for the kingdom with expand dramatically.