Generosity

God’s mission changes the way we view money. Whereas money is seen by the world as a tool for securing personal welfare, comfort, and happiness, Jesus calls his disciples  to find welfare, comfort, and happiness in his invaluable love. Once you set your hope fully on Jesus, you are freed from the empty promises of wealth. These two perspectives on money leave you with a decision to make. Jesus says, “No one can serve two masters … You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24). Where you give your money reveals what master you serve, as Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). You must choose who you will serve, God or money.

Practicing generosity for God’s mission doesn’t mean you can’t buy things. Guilt has no place in gospel-fueled generosity, since “God … richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” God’s mission shouldn’t keep you from enjoying good gifts. But the mission of God should compel you to give away your money so that others can enjoy the best gift, the gospel. Practicing generosity for God’s mission means that you prioritize investing in God’s kingdom over investing in your own. You “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” trusting that God will take care of your needs (Matthew 6:33).

In Leviticus 27:30, God commands his people to give away ten percent of everything they earn back to the Lord. While this was required of Israel in the Old Testament, it is not explicitly mentioned in the New Testament as a standard for the church. Disciples of Jesus are commanded to “give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). However, the church has never seen the absence of a New Testament tithing command as an excuse for giving less than ten percent back to the Lord. The gospel ought to compel us to give away more than this. This is why faithful disciples of Christ view the tithe, giving ten percent of income back to the local church, as a baseline for generosity.

Those who have found the treasure of the gospel are eager to give their treasure away for the gospel. Disciples don’t give as a way to earn something from God, but as a response to what God has given them. Paul writes, “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 by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Cheerful generosity flows from looking first to Jesus, who became poor to give you the riches of his grace.