What Is The Best Standard Amount For Charitable Giving?

Some people and some churches say we should give a certain percentage such as 10% or 20%, or even more. Did Jesus give his followers any guidance on how much they should give?

It is recorded in Matthew 10.

"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." Matthew 10:8.

These words are from the instructions Jesus gave to his followers when he sent them out to preach.

This is a list of Apostolic miracles, and generosity is elevated to the same level and is included as a guiding attitude. This statement of giving freely is an exclamation mark that sums up all of the instructions.

WHO
The phrase, "freely you have received, freely give," is directed to those disciples and their specific mission on that occasion; but the principle transcends time and place, and applies to us today.

THE POINT
The point is obvious that they were not to charge for the work they did in the name of the Lord; they were not to make a profit out of something that God gave them freely, instead, they were to be generous.

COST
Some in the church quote, "I will not give to God that which cost me nothing," which is a reference to King David's sacrifice to stop the plague in 2 Samuel 24:24.  But Jesus' disciples were to share freely the blessings they were given freely.  They were not just to do good but to do it with the attitude of unrestrained generosity.

WHAT IS IT TO GIVE FREELY
There is not a set rule to follow like a ten percent tithe; this is an even higher standard- it is to give without restraint or hesitation. It would say, "I have been greatly blessed so I will greatly bless. I have been given much so I will give much."

THINK WHAT HAVE YOU RECEIVED FREELY

We each have been given more than we know. We have blessings and resources of many types; some have money and some have talent, skills, time or gifts. We all have life and every heartbeat is a gift. If we count our blessings with an open mind and reflective spirit we would see we have been given much in many ways. Since we have received much and we should give much. 

NOT JUST BECAUSE

Jesus gives the instruction to give freely and that is the strongest reason but it is supported by many truths. 

     * It is morally right to give freely. 

     * It is an appropriate expression of gratitude. 

     * It is the correct way to honor the giver.

     * It is noble.

     * Society respects it.
     * God rewards it.
     * It reflects God who freely gives blessings to us.
     * It models Christ to those who are witness to it.

GIVE
Maybe you cannot raise the dead and drive out demons but generosity is just as powerful. Be thankful for the blessings The Almighty has given to you and rejoice in the opportunity to be a blessing by freely giving.

(c) Adron 2/7/16

Will God Give You The Money You Need? Matthew 7:11

We doubt God's goodness and think if we have a problem or need we will have to struggle to provide the solution.

"If you then know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will you heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him?" Matthew 7:11.

KNOW HOW
Jesus begins with a comparison that we can relate to. Of course, we know how to give good gifts to our children. For normal healthy people we like to give something good to our kids, and many of us spend a lot of time doing so in one way or another.

HOW MUCH MORE
When we try to compare our ways with God's we are so far short that there is nothing that can describe it. If we are good God is infinitely more so. If we are generous God is infinitely more.

TO THOSE WHO ASK
Prayer is a mystery but the Lord has chosen to reveal that God will give to those who ask. He has promised to answer prayer and he waits for us to ask in prayer. Prayer seems to be a test of faith and an expression of faith.

HEAVENLY FATHER
We must have a relationship with the Father in Heaven. He is our father as creator but there is a relationship that He offers through His Son. Without this relationship, he is a distant father. To learn more about how to have a relationship with the Father see my other blog.

PRAY
We work ourselves to the bone to put food on the table and a roof over our head, but The Heavenly Father is waiting to give what we need if we ask. It may be that He will choose to answer by providing a job or the ability to exercise financial wisdom. Maybe He will give a marketable skill or maybe He will answer with a miracle of provision. Whichever way He answers prayer He will not answer prayer until we pray.

What Is Money According To Jesus?

Jesus taught often about money. In one parable* he told about a wealthy man who entrusted three different sums of money to three servants and left on a journey. Two invested and received profitable gains but one hid his trust in a hole in the ground.

The master returned to praise and promote the first two but to the third said, "You wicked, lazy servant! You knew I harvest where I have not sown and I gather where I have not scattered seed. You should have put my money on deposit with the bankers so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest." (Matthew 25:29.) He then reallocated the money to the one who did the most profit and removed the servant from service. (Literally threw him out, see the link below for the entire passage).

ACCOUNTING
The master trusted his servants with the money and later he had each give an account. He rewarded the industrious and faithful, but he condemned one who abused or neglected the trust. So money was the test for the servants.

PRAISE OR SHAME
God has given us gifts and blessings he has endowed us with talents and abilities. The day will come when we stand before him and give an answer for their use. This accounting is not to determine our salvation, since salvation is already given as a gift based on the death of Jesus who paid for all of our sins and if we receive the gift of eternal life we will never face judgment. The accounting seems to be a serious one though and appears to relate to eternal blessings and rewards, or for those who have a poor account it seems to be a point of shame.

WORD TO THE WISE
As we receive God's blessing in money or temporal goods let's consider how to best invest for the kingdom of God and the good of others. Let's beware of squandering blessings when instead we can increase them for others. Let's strive for the day when we shall say, "Look you gave me five talents, see I have made you five more!"

______________________________

Jesus spoke elsewhere of our having to give an account such as that we will "give account for every word idly spoken," Matthew 12:36.

*Matthew 25:14-30

What Did Jesus Say About Keeping Wealth.

The Bible has a lot of advice about how to live life. When it comes to wealth much of what it says is clear common sense but sometimes it takes us above the world view.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6: 19-20. NIV.

STORE
To store something is to purposefully acquire and keep something. To store here includes the idea of hoarding, collecting, to lay something up or to accumulate.

TREASURES
Jesus spoke to the poorest people in the poorest country in the empire- when you are poor you may wish to be wealthy. Jesus did not use words like money or wealth but treasures, in the plural sense. There are many things we could be treasuring in this life; our treasure may not be gold and silver- anything can be viewed as a treasure.

EARTHLY LOSS
The treasures we have here are temporary, they decay, are destroyed or are stolen.

HEAVEN
Jesus encourages us to have heaven in our view. He suggests the treasures (again plural) in heaven do not diminish, decay, and are secure from loss or theft. The permanence of heaven is in contrast with the temporary nature of this world.

HOW
We each must decide how we will store up treasures in heaven. It may be by giving money or time or talent; it could service, mission, or frequent acts of generosity. It may be different for each of us. We must resolve to find the right way to store treasure in heaven.

THE SIDE EFFECT
To live generously and charitably changes our character, we become nobler and less selfish, more content and happy; and to consider God and obey his commands builds in us faith and saintliness.

"He is no fool to give up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." Jim Elliott.

(c) Adron 2013