Since we will soon be celebrating the 10 Day Give here at ChristianPF (Starting October 1st!), I thought it would be good to discuss our motives for Christian giving.
As far as I can tell, people usually give for one of five reasons:
- Giving for earthly praise
- Giving as a duty
- Giving as commanded
- Giving for a reward
- Giving as a spiritual discipline
In this post, we’ll evaluate the merits of each of these giving motives.
1. Giving for Earthly Praise
The Bible clearly does not support giving just for the attention of others.
“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, (Matthew 6:1-3 NIV)
2. Giving as a Duty
Understandably, this one gets a lot of bad press.
Paul writes:
Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given (2 Cor 9:5b)
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV)
Still, there is some value in giving out of a sense of duty.
When Jesus died on the cross, he was motivated out of love, but there was also another motivating factor – necessity or duty. He was obligated to do the will of his Father.
In Mark 8:31, Jesus describes his journey to Jerusalem by saying, ‘it is necessary’. He goes to Jerusalem out of necessity. We know that when he prayed in the Garden he didn’t WANT to go to the cross, but he went because he submitted to his Father.
Sometimes we need to act first and the emotions will follow us later. Many married couples have a hard time loving their spouse because they don’t feel love. However, sometimes the feelings of love follow loving acts.
While this is not the most mature way to give, it is often in duty that we start to learn to give.
3. Giving as Commanded
Similarly to giving as duty, some give as they believe they are commanded.
Giving as commanded is not necessarily bad either. We often compare giving out of joy to giving as commanded. When those are the only two options, then of course, we should give out of joy. But, which is best between giving nothing, giving out of commandment, and giving out of joy. Is giving, even just because you feel commanded better than nothing?
I’ll be honest, my five year old daughter gives either out of duty or commandment (not God’s, but mine). I do hope in 10 years she’ll better understand why she gives and have a more refined theology. But, for now, I’m happy to instill the giving habit.
And yes, we could debate about the question – is tithing commanded, but that is beyond the scope of this article. All I’ll say is that some do think it is, and they give in response to that commandment. Here is more about tithing in the NT.
4. Giving for Rewards
There are Bible verses that suggest we will get a reward for giving:
At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, (2 Corinthians 8:14 NIV)
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:10-11 NIV)
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:3-4 NIV)
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33 NIV)
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV)
Giving for a reward seems to have a lot of support in the Scriptures, but I don’t think it is the healthiest reason to give.
The problem with giving for reward is that you, me, I become the epicenter of giving – instead of God.
When love is described in the Bible, (1 Cor 13) it is hailed as a virtuous thing because it is selfless. When Jesus is described, (Phil 2) his character is seen in his humility and putting others first. When the throne of God is introduced, (Rev 4) we recognize that everything in the throne room revolves around God.
God is the center.
I believe that if we are motivated to give for rewards we put ourselves in the center instead of God. Yes, rewards may come, but that is not our prime motive or objective.
5. Giving as a Spiritual Discipline
I believe Christians give because giving mirrors the nature of God who gave his Son. It mirrors the nature of Jesus Christ who gave his life. It mirrors the ministry of the Holy Spirit who is the Helper of all mankind.
When we give, we become imitators of God.
Thus, it is through giving that we re-enact the ministry of Jesus on the cross. In giving we become more Christ like.
Moreover, it is in giving that we show our full allegiance to God without the distraction and hindrance of money.
When we imitate Christ in giving, we help extend the borders of his Kingdom. Jesus came preaching of the kingdom of God. Now through our giving, we also allow people to experience the redemptive nature of the kingdom.
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:9-11 NIV)
What other healthy reasons are there for giving? What motivates you to give?
Photo by jamieleto
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Even before I started going back to church (long lapse — and a longer story) I always gave because, well, there was NEED. How could I live with myself if I didn’t even *try* to help others?
Now I give through my church (monthly debit from my account plus collection plate plus special monthly offerings) but I also continue to give to specific causes and also to people on the street. I give not because I must, or because I can, but because I *should*.
I’m thing giving out of duty/command is often under-rated. I give a tithe-plus for this reason. I don’t think about it, I just write a check each week. It’s a duty, an obligation or a command – call it whatever you like. I don’t write the check grudgingly, I write the check just like I write the check for the mortgage, for the electricity, etc.
I also think you missed a reason we give – that’s because we want to give. Earlier this week, I gave a basket of snacks, some rolls of coins and a gift-card to a friend whose baby is in the hospital. She can use those things as she stays with the baby. I wanted to help her in some way, this was a good way for her and for me.
Also, we give because we see the need. A friend asked for help with her budget a few years ago. After I helped her set it up, I realized that she needed help and she needed it right then. We gave her $100. It made all the difference in the world to her. Bills were paid and the power was not turned off. It was a short-term help, but it was what she needed. She eventually paid it back, but I never asked for it. I considered it a gift.
Thank you for the post. I often lose track of what giving is truly about, and this was a good refresher. Most times, I am motivated to give because I realize how good life is in the United States. I have less than some of the individuals that surround me, but I have 100 times more most individuals that span other regions of the globe. Running water, electricity, a motor vehicle, and a roof over my head; I am truly blessed.
Great reasons to give! I think God wants to be honored and I agree that giving should be from the heart. Not grudgingly. We give from a place of abundance. You can also give from a place of lack but most of the time you give from a place of abundance. God’s definitely been speaking to me on this subject recently and I hope to enjoy more of your articles!
I find myself giving because I simply want to be a blessing to someone else who may not have. I am careful NOT to give for earthly recognition because you’ll have your reward…on earth. My prayer to God is to place within me a desire to be a cheerful giver. Nonetheless, Great article!
A very good post to challenge us to evaluate our own motives for giving. I agree with Randy that you missed one. Giving for the Joy of it. Just like when we give gifts to our children and see the happiness on their faces we can have that same joy when helping others with a medical bill they can’t afford, a bag of groceries when they were hungry, or a new coat for a cold child. Another reason is almost a compulsion to give, having it in our nature to reach out to those in need. The most known example of this is Mother Theresa and I’m sure there are many others though not so well known. I think the love in their hearts won’t even let them sleep at night unless they are doing all they can. It is the absence of selfishness and the love of others that makes giving a joy. This I think is the heart of God that we are to cultivate.
“Giving for a reward seems to have a lot of support in the Scriptures, but I don’t think it is the healthiest reason to give. The problem with giving for reward is that you, me, I become the epicenter of giving – instead of God.”
This is a very strange statement–you seem to be taking issue with the Bible. It would probably be more constructive to reconcile the tension you have with reward-motivated giving by thinking through why Jesus and the Bible repeatedly hold out the prospect of reward as a proper motivation. I would suggest that there is no problem here if you realize that our reward is God himself. When God is the reward, then there is no problem with being motivated by that reward. It is only when the reward is conceived of in other terms that it becomes a mercenary motive.
@Eric
Very good point.
You’re right the statement does sound awkward. The keyword in the sentence is “seems”. I think that if we analyze scripture closely (holistically – more than just a verse) we find a different motivation for giving. On the surface reward seems to be the motive.
Yes, the reward is not more money as commonly explained, but the reward is something more.
Agreed. Thanks for your blog and your response.
We must give rather than always having, we really need to give to share our faith and to be a blessing to other people. Here are ways that we can use to practice giving:
1. practice giving
2. practice giving
3. practice giving
It brings joy.