Selwyn Hughes: Our Selfishness or God’s Largeheartedness

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

“I once heard a critic of Christianity say, ‘Christians give to others not because it is the right thing to do but because it makes them feel so good. It really is a sophisticated form of selfishness – giving in order to receive.’ Well, there may be some who give in order to get, but as a firsthand observer of the Christian life for well over 50 years, I have found that hearts are overflowing with a generosity that comes from an appreciation of God’s largeheartedness in giving in Son to be their Savior. His generosity generates theirs.”

Selwyn Hughes in Divine Mathematics: A Biblical Perspective on Investing in God’s Kingdom (Surrey, UK: CWR, 2004) 43.

Let’s lean into what this critic of Christianity said for a moment. This idea of giving to feel good might link to a person’s past. Perhaps they have committed wrongs and so their giving aims to assuage their guilt.

I imagine many give for that reason. I have heard other critics say that we give only to the things we care about. That would point to our selfishness, for sure. We must give to what God cares about.

Next month I celebrate 50 years since I asked Jesus to be my Savior. So, like Hughes, I have been a part of God’s family for many years and like his comment about God’s largeheartedness.

It caught my attention as I have never heard the word, largeheartedness. But as I lean into it, I find that gratitude for all God has done emerges as the greatest motivator for Christian generosity worldwide. His generosity generates ours.

So, how do we grow in generosity? We reflect often on the indescribable gift of Christ to us. It inspires us to follow His example. And the blessings we get are just the icing on the proverbial cake of the Christian life.

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it. Matthew 16:25

“A story is told of a visitor to London during the time of the construction of St. Paul’s Cathedral, the architect of which was Sir Christopher Wren. The visitor stopped at the construction site and asked some of the workmen what they were doing.

One said, ‘I am working to get money to keep my family.’ Another said, ‘I am working here because it is the kind of work I have been trained to do.’ A third man said, ‘I am helping Sir Christopher Wren build a great cathedral.’

We are not on earth simply to work and take care of our families; we are here to help Jesus Christ build His kingdom and to help carry His message to the ends of the earth.”

Selwyn Hughes in Divine Mathematics: A Biblical Perspective on Investing in God’s Kingdom (Surrey, UK: CWR, 2004) 41.

Are you working to keep your family or to build God’s kingdom? Only you can answer that. Another thing that fascinated me about this little story links to a bloke named Sir Christopher Wren.

I did some searching and found that he was a famous English physicist, mathematician, and astronomer who is one of the most highly awarded architects in the history of England. He lived from 1632 to 1723.

The Great Fire of London happened in 1666. He was early in his career, only 34. So what did he spend his life building? Churches. History credits him for building 52 churches, including St. Paul’s Cathedral.

What will you spend your life? To keep your family or build God’s kingdom. Remember today’s Scripture. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it. Matthew 16:25

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior. 1 Timothy 2:1-3

“So many Christians lack a worldwide vision. A Christian should have a vision for the world even though he or she is not able to go to every part of it. Our trouble today is that we are far too parochial in our vision. The apostle Paul when writing to Timothy calls the church to prayer, showing that our prayer concerns should cover more than just the people in our community, but rather, everybody.”

Selwyn Hughes in Divine Mathematics: A Biblical Perspective on Investing in God’s Kingdom (Surrey, UK: CWR, 2004) 37.

Do you have a global vision with your prayers and giving? Remember, Jesus said we would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.

Assess the reach of your prayers and giving. Does it touch your community, your region, your nation, and countries around the world. Do you serve workers who minister among the persecuted church or refuges?

Why ask these questions? God hears the cries of the poor and the persecuted and sometimes our giving touches just those we love and care about locally. If you need help with this, message me.

Don’t be too parochial in your vision. Giving can help break you of this. Why? Your heart always goes where you put God’s money. Include ministries that serve workers worldwide in your giving.

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:35

“Some give like a rock, only when they are struck. Others give like a sponge, only when they are squeezed. Others give like flowers because they love to give. What kind of giving characterizes you? … Give enough money away that it sacrifices your lifestyle. If there is not sacrifice in our lives, there is no joy in our lives.”

Selwyn Hughes in Divine Mathematics: A Biblical Perspective on Investing in God’s Kingdom (Surrey, UK: CWR, 2004) 37.

Had sweet fellowship in Florida with my parents! Their health remains uncertain, but their dependence on God has never been stronger. I am back to Colorado and focusing on writing now.

I like this little book by Selwyn Hughes. He mixes wit with wisdom. Today he likens givers to rocks, sponges, or flowers. And he invites us to chose which object depicts our giving. Which one matched you?

Then he explains why we benefit by giving more. Echoing Jesus quoted by Paul and Luke in Acts of the Apostles, we get blessing and joy from giving. So Hughes adds that we miss out on blessing and joy when we do not.

I praise God for the reception to my sermon kicking off missions month at my parent’s church in Florida. If you want to listen to it, click here. To download my slide deck, click here. To get my sermon notes, click here.

I sacrificed a bit of time and energy to do the study and preparation to preach. But I received abundant blessing and joy from serving in that way and hearing the first fruits responses how it inspired people.

I appreciate your prayers as I dedicate most every minute the next three weeks to writing and rest. Thanks.

My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:20-23

“Many people spend the first half of their live expending health to gain wealth and then the last part of their lives expending wealth to gain health.”

Selwyn Hughes in Divine Mathematics: A Biblical Perspective on Investing in God’s Kingdom (Surrey, UK: CWR, 2004) 33.

What will you rely on to have good health: God’s words or your wealth? I’ve focused the first week of my 16 week sabbatical giving attention to God’s words. Daily I have reminded myself of these words from the Apostle Paul.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother — which is the first commandment with a promise — so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3

I want God to bless me with good health, strength, and service. I believe starts by thanking my parents for all they have done for me and giving special time to honoring them.

If your parents are alive. Pick up the phone and call them and thank them for all their sacrifices and love. Go visit them if they are close to you and say it in person. If they are not alive or unreachable, say a prayer of thanksgiving to God for them.

Money can’t buy love or good health regardless of your wealth. It comes as a gift from God for following His ways. And part of His ways relate to using money in God-honoring ways.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

It is not wrong to store up money. In fact, Christ commands it. But the crux of the matter is where we store money. Store it up in heaven, says Jesus, not on earth. By that He means making investments in the things that will endure in eternity.

Our Lord mates three significant points in the statement quoted above.

1. Treasure on earth is susceptible to corruption, decay, and theft. Money stored in heaven is safe and secure.

2. Treasure in heaven gets a high yield. Here we may get 5%, 15%, 25%, or in a huge economic boom, some investments may return as much as 30%. Scripture talks about a 30, 60, or even a 100 fold return.

3. Treasure and our hearts interact together. Initially your treasure goes where your heart goes. If you have your heart set on a new car or a bigger house or a computer upgrade then there is little doubt that in due course your money is going to follow your heart. Your heart then becomes all the more attached to that thing. We are going to have to lead our hearts to heaven by investing our resources there.

People often ask me if it is a scriptural principle to save. Most definitely. Look to the ants, says Proverbs 30:25, who in good seasons store up for the lean times to come. There is biblical wisdom in saving. But millions? Why sacrifice present kingdom impact fora future on earth that has no guarantee it will ever come? We must let Jesus speak with full force into our lives. We are not just being wicket if we pile up treasures on earth; we are being stupid.”

Selwyn Hughes in Divine Mathematics: A Biblical Perspective on Investing in God’s Kingdom (Surrey, UK: CWR, 2004) 32-33.

Where are your treasures? I am not asking. Jesus is. Take it up with Him.

Hughes wants you to hear the “full force” of the teachings of Jesus. I want that for my sermon tomorrow. I will speak of “Adventures and Anchors” from Acts 27 at South Lake Wales Church of God, where my parents worship.

I appreciate your prayers for my preaching. And I am praying for you to act wisely.

Life began for Jenni and me in 2009 when we decided to store up our earthly wealth in heaven. We live on a mina (three months of income) and store the rest there.

And it is the faithfulness of God to sustain us that drives my passion to post daily.

I want the whole world to know that obeying Jesus does not leave you destitute. You learn your role on earth is to distribute. If you have millions. Put them to work and see what happens.

I have a friend, who reads these posts every day. He followed God’s leading to shift from building wealth to building the kingdom. What if you did that?

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10

“If money is unsurrendered to God, it soon masters us. When we hold it as a trust, it blesses us. Our Christianity functions in and through the material. If we are faithful with material power, then God will entrust us with spiritual power… Transferring ownership to God means that every decision as to how your money will be earned or used will be based on scriptural principles, remember that one day we will have to give an account to God of how we managed the funds that He entrusted to us. So tell Him that from now on you are no longer a proprietor but a steward.”

Selwyn Hughes in Divine Mathematics: A Biblical Perspective on Investing in God’s Kingdom (Surrey, UK: CWR, 2004) 27-29.

Does your life lack spiritual power? Make your Christianity function through the material and see what happens.

When we surrender ourselves and the resources He has entrusted to us to God, He not only takes care of everything, He reveals His faithfulness through our faith. He demonstrates His power through our surrender.

I have surrendered my life, my resources, my service, and my work at GTP to God. Join me.

I have taken sabbatical to shift from the normal to the needful. Desiring spiritual power to write and serve, I surrender myself and my material resources to God in rest and trust that He will show up.

When you play proprietor, you get the stress of straining to supply.

When you surrender yourself and your material power to God, you trigger His attention, care, provision, and more. Jesus, I surrender myself and resources to you, take care of everything. Move every reader to join me I pray, in Jesus name.

And the visit with my aging parents has been priceless so far. Thanks for your prayers.

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Psalm 24:1

“If you have been acting as though you are the owner then abdicate from the throne of your heart and let God be God. The relationship is then pegged down. That is the starting point which once accepted means we can work forward. Putting our possessions at God’s disposal does something more than settle a money issue. It settles a life attitude. You are then a person under orders, a person with a sense of missions, a sense of direction, and a life goal. Your realize you are handling something on behalf of Another, the Another being God. That does something to the whole of life – puts sacredness into the secular, lifts the sordid into the sacred. Money becomes a message.”

Selwyn Hughes in Divine Mathematics: A Biblical Perspective on Investing in God’s Kingdom (Surrey, UK: CWR, 2004) 25.

Safely in Florida. Met with dear friends in the Stuart area yesterday. Shot the header photo at sunset. Peaceful first day of my sabbatical and thankful for safe travel. Connecting with my parents this morning. We will enjoy a boat ride and special time together.

This Sunday I preach at South Lake Wales Church of God. It’s the church where my parents worship.

I am excited. I think I will read this quote. Why? It’s Missions Sunday. The pastor asked me to tell stories of my adventures in missions with God to inspire them to participate with all they are and all they have.

My text for preaching is Acts 27. I will speak of Paul’s adventures and my own and then give them anchors for their journey.

Today’s post is like an anchor for our journey through 2026. It makes sacred every decision we make and every step we take. God owns everything, including us. May this inspire our life attitude to be found faithful in 2026 and doing the needful!

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

“A businessman once said, ‘I’ve prospered in my business; now my task is to know how much I can keep for my own use.’ That’s the right order. How much can I keep for myself? For everything I needlessly spend on myself is taken from some other person in need.”

Selwyn Hughes in Divine Mathematics: A Biblical Perspective on Investing in God’s Kingdom (Surrey, UK: CWR, 2004) 25.

Happy new year! My word for the year is needful. My 16 weeks of sabbatical leave starts today. What is a sabbatical? Read my forthcoming Christian Leadership Alliance blog post on the topic here.

Sabbatical time is not about shifting from “normal” to “nothing” but from “normal” to what is “needful.” I am dedicating the first week of my sabbatical to what is most needful right now: seeing my aging parents in Florida. Pray for safe travel and sweet time.

This post seemed fitting as Hughes points us to the unnamed businessman who realized that God supplied for his needs and anything he needlessly spent was taken from someone in need. You could say the unnamed businessman had to determine what was needful.

What about you? Join me in surrendering every minute, hour, and day of 2026 to God. And join me and the unnamed businessman in not spending on needless things, but investing in is most needful, trusting God to supply all our needs while helping meet the needs of others.

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

“Transfer ownership of your possessions to God. The very first thing a Christian should understand in relation to money and possessions is about turning them over into God’s hands. Dr. E. Stanley Jones, one of my spiritual mentors, used to say: ‘A road that perhaps more than any other leads to self-atrophy is undedicated money.’

So if you haven’t done so, then consider transferring your possessions and money over to Him today. When you let go of your possessions and let God have them, then life takes on a sense of stewardship. It really does. Perhaps a question we ought to ask ourselves before going any further is this: who owns my possessions, does God or do I?

Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are only in possession of our possessions for a brief period. If in reality we don’t own our possessions then the obvious thing is to acknowledge this in a prayer to God. Have the sense to say to Him, ‘I am not the owner; I am the ower!’

Selwyn Hughes in Divine Mathematics: A Biblical Perspective on Investing in God’s Kingdom (Surrey, UK: CWR, 2004) 24-25.

Owner thinking is not only anti-biblical, it’s destructive! Having any measure of wealth not dedicated to God leads to self-atrophy. Whatever we hold on to chokes the life of God from us.

We must ask ourself this question: Do I live like an owner or like an ower?

What a great question to ask as 2025 draws to a close and as we anticipate life in 2026! Today’s Scripture reminds us that God not only owns all material wealth, He owns you and me. He bought us with the price of the blood of Christ.

I pray this inspires you to live differently in 2026.

Live as a steward who understands what it means to play the role of ower. God bought you and so you use all you are and all you have in service to Him and to advance His purposes.

A test to see if you are an owner or an ower links to assets.

Do you possess assets and struggle to part with them thinking you need them to live? I thought that way for years. It’s so limiting. Only when I let go of assets did I learn how God could supply the resources for my generosity.

He looks for owers with their hands free to receive, enjoy, and share. Make that be you in 2026!