Money…. I’ve discovered that generous givers love to talk about giving money. It is the stingy giver that is uncomfortable talking about money. But Jesus talked about our relationship with money often. He understood that human nature yearns to control our own destiny and security as opposed to trusting God. Here are six reasons why people don’t give and some passages responding to those excuses.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you have given so generously and graciously to me. Guide me with your Spirit that I may give to others in your holy name. Amen.
Monday – Matthew 6:25-34
“I need it for myself.” Because I don’t trust God to provide for me? Because I don’t think God can manage this? Because God is too poor to provide? What does Jesus teach us in this passage about God’s faithfulness and generosity? Verse 33 is the key to how we balance our needs with God’s provision. What does this mean?
Tuesday – 2 Corinthians 8:1-7
“My gift is too small to make a difference.” Paul is reporting to the wealthy church in Corinth how the church in Macedonia responded to Paul’s mission offering. How does he describe their attitude towards giving? What was their capacity? What impact did it have on others?
Wednesday – 2 Corinthians 8:8-15
“People should solve their own problems.” You and I have been blessed by the grace of God, most likely through the generosity of many others. Why shouldn’t others receive that same grace? And could it be that God’s answer to their prayers is our generosity?
Thursday – 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
“Poverty cannot be solved.” Generosity is not just about what it does for others. It is also what it does for us. What does Paul teach in this passage about the importance of generosity? How does it form, re-form, and transform the giver?
Friday – Acts 2:43-47
“Charity makes people dependent on others.” Hoarding our assets to punish those who do not have does not create healthy self-sufficiency. When people become interdependent upon each other, everyone benefits. Most of us have benefitted from the charity of others. Have we become the people we accuse others becoming? How can God’s grace reveal another alternative?
Saturday – Luke 6:37-42
“I don’t have enough.” Jesus’ teaching comes from the Sermon on the Mount, and the context of this verse (verse 38) is given in the middle of his teaching on judging and forgiveness. Jesus explains that the measure we use in giving grace to others is the measure God will use in giving grace to us. If I don’t have enough, is it because I have been unwilling to share what I do have? How do you measure your generosity?