Giving Money

My pastor and best friend Ryan is doing a sermon series on generosity back home.  I listened to one of his sermons and loved it.  However, I’m not sure if it’s my iTunes software or something else but the sound only comes in one earphone which is extremely annoying when you’re out walking or listening to music or podcasts.  I tried to listen to another sermon today but was unable due to the annoyance.  I really wish I was back home so I could preach on giving during this series.

When we talk about giving, we’re usually talking about finances.  Giving obviously does mean more than finances as my pastor pointed out in his sermon, but I’d like to focus on finances here.  Finances and where they go show the state of your life and your heart.  If you give more toward yourself, than that is what’s important to you.  If you give more towards your house, than that’s important.  If you give a little money or no money to your church; then it’s obviously not important to you.  You may say it is, but in reality in your heart it isn’t important at all.  I can’t tell you the number of people I know who will spend, spend, and spend on so many things that are nice and unneeded but then turn around and complain when the church asks for money.

Why wouldn’t the church ask for money?  It is our duty to inform you of the Scriptures and what they teach; and guess what?  They talk a ton about how we use our money.  As such, we too need to talk about money and our people’s use of it.  It is appalling to me the state of giving in the modern church in America.  There’s a great book entitled Passing the Plate about the current state of giving in the churches in America and Canada.  There are some shocking statistics in there to say the least.  A friend of mine once whined that the vast majority of conservative Christians did nothing but help their local communities.  I pointed him to this book and some stats that very clearly state otherwise than that particular sentiment.

Our giving as a whole is woefully inadequate and pathetic.  The average church goer gives no more money than the average non-believer.  What a terrible state of affairs to find ourselves in!  Not only are our divorce rates the same inside and outside the church, but our rates of giving are the same!  There was a time when I was more radical with my giving which I need to get back to.  Unfortunately reality is setting in and I see my future debt that I’m about to inherit upon marriage and realize I won’t be able to give nearly as much as I like to be able to.  It’s a pretty good incentive to get out of debt quickly though, isn’t it?  Not to mention we both want to join the mission field soon.  I simply don’t feel right about asking for support if we then turn around and use that support to help pay off debt.  That may change in my heart and mind in the future, but as of now I’m pretty dead set against it.