How Much Should You Give?
How Much Should You Give?
How Much Should You Give?
How Much Should You Give?
Ask 10 people how to give and you will get 10 very different answers. Join Howard and Carter as they discuss how God’s word informs our giving practices, and most importantly, our motives for giving.
Audio Transcript
Right now we are rapidly approaching Christmas. Christmas is the season of giving and there is plenty of opportunity and even when it isn’t Christmas, we are constantly being asked to give to different causes. We encounter everything from being passed the offering plate church to an overly sentimental commercial asking for a small donation.
If you ask 10 Christians how much money you should give and how you should go about giving, you will likely get 10 very different answers.
These responses range from you do not have to give anything to you should give as much as you possibly can. When the range of responses about giving is nothing to everything, the answer can appear unclear.
Is there a right way to give? If so, how do we know this way to give is the right one? And, how much should we be giving to different organizations and causes?
In your question there is an answer, you don't have to give anything, but you should give everything because everything is His. The right way to give is from the heart and when we are looking for license and limits, we are off.
Jesus says, “For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.” God cares about the heart. So the bottom line is that whatever amount helps you surrender to God the most is the amount you should give. Give what will help you trust God more.
At the same time, we all benefit from disciples that help us give.
It’s All His
The first principle of giving is its all God’s. We must know this, and 1 Chronicles 29:11–13 says it perfectly, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.”
Our giving should recognize that all we have — riches, power, time, relationship — are from God and for God. We see principle in the Old Testament in the form of a tithe. Abraham gives 10% to Melchizedek.
Over the years, I’ve heard many people ask how much they should tithe to the church. This is a relatively silly question because the word ‘tithe’ literally means 10%. Tithes should be given to the church. A tithe is a spiritual offering given to God, not where you are giving to specific initiatives outside the church.
Some people object that their church does not spend money well enough to warrant giving the church 10%. However, this is a bigger conversation. If this is the case, you need to meet with a pastor or elder and discuss how they are using the funds. It’s ok to know where the money is going, but it’s not your place to direct where the money goes. Tithing is releasing control of that money and giving it to God — you are relinquishing control. Yes, you want to give to people who will competently use the money for good, but if you are micromanaging how they use every penny, you haven't given over control.
So if you want to give a tithe, give 10%. The next thing people ask is whether the 10% is gross or net, and I mean come on. If you are looking for a license or limits, you are off. God does not quibble with these kinds of things, just give 10%. Personally, I think it's gross, but it's kind of silly to argue about gross or net.
God Has Given Us Everything We Need, So Everything Is His
God became poor so that we may become rich. That is what we celebrate in giving — the fact that in the incarnation God became poor for us. Jesus was born among livestock, was homeless for most of His life, and was murdered for us.
Paul, writing in 2 Corinthians 8:7-9, says, “But since you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you — see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become.”
Paul is saying we should understand what we have been given. So giving is a test of our faith — of our knowledge of what we are given in Jesus Christ.
Ironically, it seems like people who are poorer know what they have been given. Poor people, on a percentage basis, give more than every other income bracket until you get to $10 million in income. Look it up — it’s laughable how bad it is. People who make under $50,000 give more than those who make $1,000,000.
Our heart should be to see the poor, homeless, fatherless, and foreigners flourish in the same way we want to flourish. We have so many organizations that are pursuing helping these groups in amazing ways that are worth giving to.
You Can’t Give It All Away
You cannot outgive God. We get tricked into thinking our possessions, gifts, and resources are ours. Giving helps us realize they are not.
If you are a planner, make a plan of how you want to strategically give to the Kingdom. We budget all kinds of things — mortgages, college tuition, etc. — and we should approach giving with the same level of thoughtfulness and strategy.
The rich young ruler thought he had it all and Jesus showed him he lacked one thing — a heart for God. The young ruler was unwilling to part with his riches, unwilling to surrender. For this reason, in Matthew 19:24 Jesus says, “It is easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
When our idol is our money, we treat people like means. Andy Crouch hits on this so well in one of his talks about money — click here. We want to make sure we are not in love with money.
Another helpful strategy is to incorporate relationships into your giving. Giving to organizations that help resolve problems you are passionate about will give you relationships with missionaries, nonprofit organizations, etc. These relationships tend to be very lifegiving.
The most important point is this: you cannot outgive God. Jesus became poor so that you may be rich. The lady who gave her last coin in Mark 12 knew she couldn't outgive God, and so should we.
Links
Audio Transcript
Right now we are rapidly approaching Christmas. Christmas is the season of giving and there is plenty of opportunity and even when it isn’t Christmas, we are constantly being asked to give to different causes. We encounter everything from being passed the offering plate church to an overly sentimental commercial asking for a small donation.
If you ask 10 Christians how much money you should give and how you should go about giving, you will likely get 10 very different answers.
These responses range from you do not have to give anything to you should give as much as you possibly can. When the range of responses about giving is nothing to everything, the answer can appear unclear.
Is there a right way to give? If so, how do we know this way to give is the right one? And, how much should we be giving to different organizations and causes?
In your question there is an answer, you don't have to give anything, but you should give everything because everything is His. The right way to give is from the heart and when we are looking for license and limits, we are off.
Jesus says, “For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.” God cares about the heart. So the bottom line is that whatever amount helps you surrender to God the most is the amount you should give. Give what will help you trust God more.
At the same time, we all benefit from disciples that help us give.
It’s All His
The first principle of giving is its all God’s. We must know this, and 1 Chronicles 29:11–13 says it perfectly, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.”
Our giving should recognize that all we have — riches, power, time, relationship — are from God and for God. We see principle in the Old Testament in the form of a tithe. Abraham gives 10% to Melchizedek.
Over the years, I’ve heard many people ask how much they should tithe to the church. This is a relatively silly question because the word ‘tithe’ literally means 10%. Tithes should be given to the church. A tithe is a spiritual offering given to God, not where you are giving to specific initiatives outside the church.
Some people object that their church does not spend money well enough to warrant giving the church 10%. However, this is a bigger conversation. If this is the case, you need to meet with a pastor or elder and discuss how they are using the funds. It’s ok to know where the money is going, but it’s not your place to direct where the money goes. Tithing is releasing control of that money and giving it to God — you are relinquishing control. Yes, you want to give to people who will competently use the money for good, but if you are micromanaging how they use every penny, you haven't given over control.
So if you want to give a tithe, give 10%. The next thing people ask is whether the 10% is gross or net, and I mean come on. If you are looking for a license or limits, you are off. God does not quibble with these kinds of things, just give 10%. Personally, I think it's gross, but it's kind of silly to argue about gross or net.
God Has Given Us Everything We Need, So Everything Is His
God became poor so that we may become rich. That is what we celebrate in giving — the fact that in the incarnation God became poor for us. Jesus was born among livestock, was homeless for most of His life, and was murdered for us.
Paul, writing in 2 Corinthians 8:7-9, says, “But since you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you — see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become.”
Paul is saying we should understand what we have been given. So giving is a test of our faith — of our knowledge of what we are given in Jesus Christ.
Ironically, it seems like people who are poorer know what they have been given. Poor people, on a percentage basis, give more than every other income bracket until you get to $10 million in income. Look it up — it’s laughable how bad it is. People who make under $50,000 give more than those who make $1,000,000.
Our heart should be to see the poor, homeless, fatherless, and foreigners flourish in the same way we want to flourish. We have so many organizations that are pursuing helping these groups in amazing ways that are worth giving to.
You Can’t Give It All Away
You cannot outgive God. We get tricked into thinking our possessions, gifts, and resources are ours. Giving helps us realize they are not.
If you are a planner, make a plan of how you want to strategically give to the Kingdom. We budget all kinds of things — mortgages, college tuition, etc. — and we should approach giving with the same level of thoughtfulness and strategy.
The rich young ruler thought he had it all and Jesus showed him he lacked one thing — a heart for God. The young ruler was unwilling to part with his riches, unwilling to surrender. For this reason, in Matthew 19:24 Jesus says, “It is easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
When our idol is our money, we treat people like means. Andy Crouch hits on this so well in one of his talks about money — click here. We want to make sure we are not in love with money.
Another helpful strategy is to incorporate relationships into your giving. Giving to organizations that help resolve problems you are passionate about will give you relationships with missionaries, nonprofit organizations, etc. These relationships tend to be very lifegiving.
The most important point is this: you cannot outgive God. Jesus became poor so that you may be rich. The lady who gave her last coin in Mark 12 knew she couldn't outgive God, and so should we.
Links