Where Does Our Stingy Come From?
Giving is a topic that can be sensitive and is often avoided in church discussions. It’s a subject that’s personal. Giving can have multiple meanings. Some people immediately think about money and don’t want to be told to give more.
I have heard two totally opposite perspectives on this. There are some churches that say the more you give the more you will be blessed. This is the wrong reason for giving.
Then there is the perspective that you should give everything away and live with just the bare necessities. This isn’t what God wants for us. He doesn’t want us to be poor and destitute.
Both of these viewpoints can be supported by Scripture. But neither shows the whole picture.
You need to read the whole Bible to get the whole picture.
Giving doesn’t have to be just money. It can be time and talents as well.
Dodging conversations about money comes from a worldly perspective. This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t be responsible with our money and pay our bills. At the same time, we need to be careful not to make money our focus.
In 1 Timothy 6:10, the Bible tells us the LOVE of money is the root of evil. It doesn’t say ‘money’. It says the ‘love’ of money. It’s about where your focus is. Is it on God, the giver of all things, or on money?
Living in this world we have responsibilities. We need a home and food. We need a way to get to work. What we need to be aware of is what we’re putting into the category of necessity. We don’t have to have a mansion or eat at expensive restaurants or drive a Rolls-Royce.
God doesn’t ask for a lot. He’s only asking for a tithe. This is just a tenth. It tells us in Malachi 3:10 that if we do our part and give a tenth that the Lord will open the windows of heaven with blessings.
These blessings may or may not be money. They may be for more than just us.
As seen in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, sowing a small number of seeds will produce a small crop. Sowing a lot of seeds produces a large crop. It goes on to say that God loves a cheerful giver. That the one who provides the seed will multiply your crop.
We need to remember that everything we have, everything in the world, belongs to God. We’ve just been asked to be good stewards of it.
This means we need to give as God directs us and not be stingy.