Christian Giving Is More Than Christmas Giving

Christian Giving Is More Than Christmas Giving

“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 rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9 NIV

We all know that the true spirit of Christmas is not getting, but giving. And our personal experience proves that there really is more joy in giving than in receiving Christmas gifts. Even so, much of our Christmas giving tends to fall short of true Christian giving. For one thing, Christmas giving usually doesn’t cost all that much, and furthermore, a Christmas gift usually doesn’t help meet someone’s true needs. But true Christian giving is different – it goes so much farther. How far? Christian giving goes to the point where it begins to “hurt” the giver and really help the receiver. Have you done any Christian giving lately?

Give Yourself
The first principle we want to look at is primary to all Christian giving: Give yourself first (2 Cor. 8:5). The Macedonians first gave their own selves, then gave their own substance. If I am not really “into” my giving, it is really not true Christian giving. After all, the Lord doesn’t really need my substance or my service. He could have money grow on trees and have angels do all the work! But He wants to use me. This is primary. Notice the direction that this giving of ourselves is to take – “to the Lord and then to us” (2 Cor. 8:5). Some Christians have the idea that if they run off and live in seclusion “in dedication to the Lord” that they are giving of themselves. No way! The vertical (“to the Lord”) must include the horizontal (“then to us”) to qualify as true Christian giving. We are to be involved on a down-to-earth basis with people who have needs. Note that this is “in keeping with God’s will” (2 Cor. 8:5).

Give Sacrificially
Another principle of Christian giving is: Give to the point of sacrifice (2 Cor. 8:3). The Macedonians were not giving the “surplus off the top” or whatever amount happened to be “leftover at the end of the month.” Second Corinthians 8:2 shows us that these Christians were poor and under pressure to begin with, and yet they gave in the midst of their problems and in spite of their poverty. They gave till it really hurt! Certainly our measly contribution of a few dollars and an hour a week falls short of this divine principle. How far should we carry this principle of sacrifice? The next two principles give us guidelines.

Give As The Lord Did
Give after the example of our Lord (2 Cor. 8:9). How much did the Lord Jesus give? He gave it all! And it wasn’t just for His friends: He gave His whole life for His enemies and for the likes of you and me. Why? So that we “through His poverty might become rich!”

But how does one give it all? Should we sell all we own and go around in a pair of old jeans and a T-shirt and live in a cheap apartment? Well, that wouldn’t be the worst reaction to this principle, and some of us may be called upon by the Lord to live very much like this.

Give Toward Equality
However, Scripture is always balanced. The balancing principle here is found in 2 Corinthians 8:13-15: Give toward equality. Although the Macedonians were not wealthy, they did have more that those in Jerusalem at the time, and so it was right that they aim for equality. The intent was not that the Christians in Jerusalem should be eased to the point where the Corinthians would be poverty-stricken (2 Cor. 8:13). No, the aim was for equality. When we see others with a greater need than ourselves we should at least make a start towards equality. Something is amiss if we are too comfortable while others are in need! Praise God for Christian organizations which are truly concerned about the crying needs of people around the world. We should give liberally to such organizations.

But isn’t this equality principle indirectly communism? No! Second Corinthians 8:15 guards against such thinking. This verse is a quotation from the Old Testament (Ex. 16:18) in reference to the manna. Read the account of how God miraculously provided bread for His people, and it becomes clear that equality was accomplished on the basis of needs, not amount. Communism aims for equality, but it is on the basis of the same amount for everyone. Christian giving aims for equality on the basis of meeting needs. Verse 15 also teaches us something else in reference to giving towards equality. It is something we growing Christians must wrestle with, and it is heavy. We should not have more than we need! Enough to meet our needs? Yes! Huge bank accounts? No! Each of us must deal with our hoarding tendencies before the Lord.

Give Willingly
A fifth principle of Christian giving comes from 2 Corinthians 8:12 – Give willingly. This principle of giving with desire is also emphasized in 2 Corinthians 8:3,4,8. From these verses we see that Paul was not commanding them to give. It was to be totally voluntary, as a proof that their Christian love was sincere. The Macedonians had been very willing. They actually begged Paul for the privilege of being able to share in meeting the needs of their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. What an example to the Corinthians! What a message to us!

Give What You Have
A further principle of Christian giving is also in 2 Corinthians 8:12 – Give what you have. The point here is that the Lord does not expect us to give what we don’t have, but He does expect us to give on the basis of what we do have. Do you have the ability to work with smaller children, teenagers, or adults? How much of that ability is being used for the Lord, and how much is being left undeveloped, unused and ungiven? Do you have the time to talk to your friend at work or your neighbor? How much of that time is given to a definite attempt to reach that person with the love of Christ, and how much is being wasted in small talk? Maybe another way of stating this sixth principle is as follows: The Lord doesn’t look so much on what we give as on what we have left!

Give According To Plan
For the final principle of Christian giving from this chapter, let’s look at verse 11: Give according to plan. Desire is not enough in Christian giving. There must be a deliberate setting aside of time, talent and treasure, and then an actual giving in accordance with that plan. The Corinthians were not to stop with good intentions; they were to complete what they had purposed. Many growing Christians have good intentions and desires in the area of Christian giving. We will say “Right on!” to a devotional Bible study on this topic. But we never really get out the pencil and paper, as it were, and deliberately plan how much of our personal time, talent and treasure we will sacrifice each week in order to give of ourselves to the work of the Lord. Christian giving will never happen based on desire alone. We must give according to a deliberate plan.

Ready To Give?
We just read seven principles of Christian giving from one chapter of God’s Word. There are others, but certainly we have enough here to show us that we all need to get out that pencil and paper and start figuring what we can give and to whom. Maybe New Year’s Eve would be an ideal time. Between now and then let’s pray that the Lord would open our eyes to the particular needs that He would have us meet with our time, our talent, or our treasure. Then let’s deliberately plan how we can and will give to meet those needs – willingly and to the point of sacrifice. Yes, true Christian giving is a lot more than the usual Christmas giving.

By David R. Reid