Today we’re looking at the topic of Christian giving, and how we can break the power that money so often holds over Christians. Yet the question Christians often ask when it comes to money is ‘how much should I give?’
While the NT does not stipulate an amount, like the OT ‘tithe’, it still has much to say. To begin with, Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:14-30 that to those who have been given much, much will be expected. Paul tells us in 2 Cor 9:7 that God loves a cheerful giver. On top of this, given God’s people now enjoy the full extent of God’s grace (in the cross), surely God wishes Christians to be more generous than our OT counterparts; not less generous. As such, Christian generosity should start with 10%.
Yet if we really want to know how to live out the gospel with our money, look to Jesus, who gave sacrificially. This principle is on display in Mark 12:42-44. Although the rich put in large sums of wealth, it is the widow that Jesus commends; for like the Macedonians in 1 Cor 8:2, she gave out of her poverty.
If we wish our giving to be shaped by the cross, then we need to give enough away this year to cut into our lifestyle. If our giving to the church and charity isn’t affecting our lifestyle, then we are giving out of our wealth; not our poverty. Throughout history, a sacrificial amount has generally been a tenth. While some Australians may struggle with such an amount, most today can give 10% of their income away without it even making a dent.
So the NT’s answer to the question of generosity is ‘give until your lifestyle is affected’, and do it cheerfully. For that is the kind of giver that Jesus commends.
