Christian Union: The Magazine Summer 2017 | Page 17

giving and generosity in the same way.
Generosity is a key sign of maturity in
Christ and that maturity must be cultivat-
ed. Calling all God’s people, where they
are at in their maturity in thinking about
money and generosity, is an important part
of growing believers in what it means to
be a generous, joyful Christian.
Generous people exude joy.
They are grateful for life and
breath and every material and
spiritual blessing of their lives.
CU: As a society, particularly in the Chris-
tian community, are we trending more or
less towards generosity?
MD: There are so many scriptures that deal
with money and possessions. Why does
15% of Christ’s teaching deal with money
and the use of money? I think it is because
tures about generosity?
CU: What are two of your favorite scrip-
2
MD: One of my greatest disappointments
in Christ’s people in this generation is that
we don’t differ very much from the culture
at large. Statistics on giving to the church
bear this out. But I am not without hope.
As someone who has observed culture for
the past 40 years, I see more emphasis on
generosity in the church in recent years
than ever before. Pastors and their con-
gregations are realizing that the theme of
generosity is not a construct of those who
need money, but, instead, the very heart
of God that His people mirror His gen-
erosity to us.
Jesus knew that money consumes an in-
ordinate amount of the thought life of
every person—rich or poor. Think how
many times, every day, we think about our
possessions and make decisions on how
we spend our wealth. How we handle our
money and possessions reveals, better than
anything, our priorities.
So, here are my two favorite scriptures.
First, Jesus’ teaching about the widow’s mite
(Mark 12:41-43). This is radical for fol-
lowers of Christ. What did Jesus commend
her for? Not the amount! He said, wealthy
people give out of their wealth—but she
gave out of her poverty (in other words,
she changed her level of living to support
Christ’s kingdom). That is what is pleasing
to the Lord and what is so hard for us to
emulate!
The second is the parable of the rich
fool in Luke 12. Here was a man who was
prospering greatly. And what did he con-
clude about his wealth? I should build more
barns, store more of my wealth, and “eat,
drink, and be merry.” The point is unmis-
takable. Storing wealth for personal com-
fort is foolish. Our mortality is certain.
But giving wealth for the sake of others
and for the sake of Christ’s kingdom is
clearly what is wise in God’s sight. I can’t
think of a passage that more clearly shows
where our priorities should be. | cu
tend to think that all Christians are the
same. But, when it comes to money and
possessions, there is a lot of diversity in the
body of Christ. We talked about four kinds
of givers.
First, the reluctant giver. This, sadly,
represents more of the Christian commu-
nity than we would care to admit. They
adopt the prevailing secular view: “my
money is my business.” In my experience,
many Christians who hold this view have
not grown up in a family that modeled
kingdom generosity. I heard recently that
50% of regular attenders/members in
churches give $100 or less per year to their
church. Sad, but true.
Then, there is the casual giver. The
casual giver usually needs to be asked for
a gift. They have some notion of God’s call
on their possessions and wealth, but they
lean toward wealth as being their posses-
sion. Their calculation is, “how much of
my money should I give to God?”
The thoughtful giver is the Christian
who understands God’s claim on their
possessions. Their giving comes with more
joy, though it often comes as the result of
request. While their giving seems right and
brings joy, it is not without the calculation
of “what am I giving up to give this gift?”
Their calculation is, “how much of God’s
money should I give?”
The gifted giver is rare (in my experi-
ence, less than 5% of all givers). They are
truly generous in the way they conduct
their life. They take unbridled joy in their
giving. Seldom do they need to be asked.
They seek opportunities to advance Christ’s
kingdom. Their calculation is, “how much
of God’s money should I keep?”
The wise pastor and ministry leader will
recognize that not all Christians approach
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