Meditations

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. Isaiah 55:8

“As I give, I try to remain sensitive to where the Holy Spirit is moving. There have been three of four times in the last ten years when I have thrown my rules, metrics, and deep analysis out the window because I had a strong sense that this was something I needed to do. Every time I’ve acted on this prompting from the Spirit, the results for the Kingdom have been spectacular…

Recognize that God can lead in ways that don’t follow your format and be willing to follow Him any way He leads. Prayer is therefore essential in the giving process, as is taking time to reflect. I am by nature fast and reactionary and have learned from friends to pause, pray, reflect, and listen to God’s promptings–and then decisions seem clearer.”

David Weekley in The Giver and the Gift: Principles of Kingdom Fundraising by Peter Greer and David Weekley (Bloomington: Bethany House, 2015) 83-84.

Yesterday I quoted Greer from this little book, and today I wanted to share this word from Weekley. We must remain open to the leading of the Holy Spirit when determining what ministries to support. Often in modern times, giving decisions are driven by statistics rather than the Spirit. Instead, we must position ourselves to follow God’s promptings as His ways are often not our ways.

Do you pray about your giving? People often ask me: To whom should I give? Or how much should I give? My response to these types of questions is to ask God because He is the owner of the resources. If you don’t have a routine of praying about your giving, consider adopting Weekley’s advice: “pause, pray, reflect, and listen to God’s promptings!”

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. Philippians 1:3-5

“In Kingdom fundraising, we [that is, ministry administrators and financial givers] acknowledge that together we can accomplish something far greater than we could ever accomplish alone. It’s a collaboration in which both parties have something to give and something to receive. It’s a spiritual exercise, rooted in relationship for the advancement of God’s Kingdom. It’s about something much bigger and more important than meeting an annual budget.”

Peter Greer in The Giver and the Gift: Principles of Kingdom Fundraising by Peter Greer and David Weekley (Bloomington: Bethany House, 2015) 21-22.

This is a great little book. I’m grateful that the good doctor, Bob Snyder M.D., founder of IHS Global, recommended it to me. Though it uses some of the language of secular fundraising that I distain, such as words like “donor” to describe “givers” to God’s work (the former term connotes ownership and the latter one is used repeatedly in the NT) or “philanthropy” for “giving” (philanthropy was the opposite of Christian giving in the world of the NT!), it contains solid principles for helping ministry administrators and financial givers build fruitful relationships and collaborate in God’s Kingdom. Buy it and read it if your service to God includes encouraging God’s people to give to God’s work.

Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Luke 12:15

“Contemporary culture is plagued by the passion to possess. The unreasoned boast abounds that the good life is found in accumulation, that “more is better.” Indeed, we often accept this notion without question, with the result that the lust for affluence in contemporary society has become psychotic: it has completely lost touch with reality…

Christian simplicity frees us from this modern mania. It brings sanity to our compulsive extravagance, and peace to our frantic spirit…It allows us to see material things for what they are–goods to enhance life, not to oppress it. People once again become more important than possessions. Simplicity enables us to live lives of integrity in the face of the terrible realities of our global village.”

Richard Foster in Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World (New York: HarperOne, 2005) 3.

One of the things my students are talking about is how the culture promotes messages that are the exact opposite of Christian simplicity. Like a plague, the passion to possess seeks to overtake us all. Let’s resolve together to give thanks for material things which enhance our lives, but rather than accumulate them, let’s pour God’s money into people.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

“The small victories of our lives are one area we see evidence of the final victory of Jesus–the times when we chose to love instead of hate, to forgive instead of hold a grudge, to be kind when being mean would be the usual course of action. In those moments we catch a glimpse of the victory he has already won. So this day, choose to perform an intentional act of kindness as evidence that you are on the winning side.

Acts of kindness also have a way of changing our perspective and reminding us that even though there is a lot of anger and selfishness in the world (and in us), something bigger and better is going on: love. When we do an act of kindness, we are demonstrating the truth that God is good and that, ultimately, God wins–which means we win as well. Do a simple act of kindness today and show the world whose side you are on.”

James Bryan Smith in Hidden in Christ: Living as God’s Beloved (Downers Grove: IVP, 2013) 58.

I have nothing to add to this exhortation by Smith other than echoing the famous Nike slogan: Just do it!

“Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:3-4

“One of the first things the disciples did following the resurrection of Jesus was to increase their number and to ensure that food and care were given to all those in need. They elected deacons specifically to help the community care for and serve those who had no advocates. This, too, is our work. We are to be people who love our neighbor and share what we have. Christian communities living into God’s mission will reveal to the world around them excellence in service. Service is the act of incarnating the gospel of Good News.”

C. Andrew Doyle in A Generous Community: Being the Church in a New Missionary Age (New York: Morehouse, 2015) 32.

The generous service of Christians toward caring for the physical needs of people was likely the greatest form of evangelism in the first century. They did this without minimizing their attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. How much time and church resources should be allocated to offering such services? This is a question many of my students are asking. To read further on this topic from a biblical studies perspective, check out a blog I wrote recently entitled: “Four Church Budgeting Insights from the Early Church”.

But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Luke 22:26

“Go down into the far end of society, take the last place among men, live with those who are despised, love other men and serve them instead of making them serve you. Do not fight them when they push you around, but pray for those who hurt you.”

Thomas Merton in New Seeds of Contemplation (Abbey of Gethsemani, 2007) 143.

Jesus modeled generous service for us, and Merton reminds us what it should look like. This will put us among our enemies and those who may seek to use us. God as we serve generously, help us serve the least deserving people like you served us.

The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. Luke 8:14

“The problem in the parable is not the quality of the seed being sown but the receptivity of the soil. All four soils receive the same quality of seed. But the health of the soul will determine the fruitfulness of the crop . . . When we chase money instead of Christ’s mission we miss the abundant life for which we were created. Our lives fail to produce a kingdom crop.”

Mike Slaughter in The Christian Wallet: Spending, Giving, and Living with a Conscience (Louisville: WJKP, 2016) 3-4.

Amen! Let us resolve not to let the desire for riches choke out our life or our fruitfulness! Instead, so that that fruit of generosity matures in each of our lives (cf. Galatians 5:22-23), let us receive the truth in our hearts which beckons us to focus on the mission Christ has given us. Our role is merely to be conduits of His life and the blessings that come with it!

Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Ephesians 4:28

“This culture of waste has made us insensitive even to the waste and disposal of food, which is even more despicable when all over the world, unfortunately, many individuals and families are suffering from hunger and malnutrition . . . Once our grandparents were very careful not to throw away any leftover food. Consumerism has led us to become used to an excess and daily waste of food, to which, at times we are no longer able to give a just value . . . Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of the poor and the hungry.”

Pope Francis in his remarks reported on 5 June 2013 by Josephine McKenna in Rome.

The idea that “not sharing our surplus” = “stealing” is both an ancient perspective that can be traced all the way back to the early church fathers and a modern idea promoted by Pope Francis among others. What about you? How has the “culture of waste” adversely shaped your stewardship? Father in Heaven, show us by your Holy Spirit how we can waste less and share more in our giving, living, serving, and loving. Do this I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24

“According to Jesus and all the writers of the New Testament, behind money are very real spiritual forces that energize it and give it a life of its own. Hence, money is an active agent; it is a law unto itself; and it is capable of inspiring devotion.”

Richard Foster in The Challenge of the Disciplined Life: Christian Reflections on Money, Sex, and Power (New York: Harper Collins, 1995) 26.

Money is not a benign object. When people retain it rather than putting it to work following biblical instructions, it becomes a malignant force. Foster rightly adds that it inspires our devotion. It intoxicates in that it demands the allegiance of all those who think it’s the answer to their problems.

God’s at work in my students. Thanks for your prayers for me and them. Their receptivity to biblical instruction in this “Faith and Finances” class here at Northern Seminary has really blessed me, and undoubtedly thrills our Lord Jesus Christ. If you want a PDF copy of my curriculum, reply to this email and I will happily share it with you.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

“Giving is a spiritual practice that can break the hold of money on our lives . . . Giving stands against the spiritual forces at work in consumerism . . . Engage in giving as a spiritual act of war.”

Want to explore these profound ideas further? Learn from one of my former doctoral students, Philip Eubanks. Watch his message dated 17 March 2016 that starts at the 13:30 mark of this livestream video. I love his passion. Well done, Philip!

Eubanks is spot on! Whether or not you watch it, engage in giving as a spiritual act of war against the forces of evil! It breaks the hold of money on our lives and stands against the forces of consumerism.