Giving

GIVING: THE BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE

Now it is true every believer is called to do the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12) but not every believer is called to preach by way of wielding the microphone or manning the pulpit. In other words, every believer is called to serve the Lord but not all will serve by preaching and teaching God’s word. There are those whose primary assignment is equipping other believers for the work of the ministry – they are popularly called the five-fold ministers: apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers and pastors (Ephesians 4:11).

The five-fold ministers are not an elite squad of ecclesiastical oligarchs; they are like other believers who have just been set apart by the election of grace to occupy offices within the body of Christ for maturing the saints, for the work of the ministry and for the general building of the body of Christ. They are therefore set apart not by human effort but by the grace of God. The grace of God upon them empowers and compels them to provide spiritual substance for maturing the saints for the work of the ministry and building up of the body of Christ. They add value to people’s lives by giving them spiritual substance, tools and nourishment. They sow spiritual seeds in other believers’ lives. Since these folk expend much of their time in the spiritual service of others, barely having time to pursue ventures that would meet their material needs, their material needs should be taken care of by those who are direct beneficiaries of God’s grace upon their lives. There is absolutely nothing wrong with those who sow spiritual seeds reaping material harvest. Concerning these folk, Paul wrote without mincing words;

If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:11-14, NIV)

Note carefully, that in the passage above, that the ones who are doing the sowing are those who give spiritual support – the preachers, and not those being ministered to – the flock. So it not those who receive spiritual substance that sow seeds but those who give spiritual substance. So when the recipients of spiritual substance respond accurately by giving material substance to those who sow spiritual seed into them, it is not called seed sowing, it is called material harvest. What does this mean? Spiritual seed is God’s word which is living and active and can cut through and pierce right into the deepest parts of man therefore initiating deep transformation, growth, healing and deliverance (Hebrews 4:12). Material harvest is dead and can only at best affect the body and the physical environment which Paul says is no big deal. You cannot sow material things because they do not bear God’s breath and cannot initiate any deep transformation. Whatever is not framed and engineered by God’s word does not qualify to be called seed.

The spiritual seed sown would benefit the recipients far more than the material things would benefit the recipients. It is not like spiritual seed would yield material benefits; it is simply a matter of value sharing. It is like two people with complementary resources: one is thirsty but has food while the other is hungry but has water. When they share value, they would end up meeting each other’s need. This is the essence of the spiritual-material support system within the body of Christ, that no one would lack anything.

Oh yes, in an ideal situation, those whose primary assignment is preaching the gospel should make a living from the gospel. There is absolutely no unrighteousness to this. The only problem is that the situation is seldom ideal. People who do not understand value sharing would consider providing material support to those who give them spiritual support as a burden. This is why the same Paul who made it abundantly clear in the passage above that those who minister spiritual things have earned a right of material support from those that they minister to. But for the sake of the expansion of the gospel, Paul and his associates decided to sacrifice their well-earned right. In other words, they would rather give up personal comfort for the progress of the gospel than be comfortable at the expense of the gospel. Hence, Paul would rather work with his hands than be a burden to those whom he gave spiritual support. In his case, the situation was sure not ideal so he had work with his hands to support himself and those who worked with him (Acts 20:34).

GIVE AND PROSPER?

You do not give to prosper materially; your prosper materially to give material things. Just like you do not give to be blessed; you are blessed so you give. There is no material thing that man needs that is not on earth.

Material prosperity and/or wealth are acquired by value created through enterprise. To prosper materially you must do the needful. Do not build your life on exceptions; build it on universally immutable laws. You cannot say because someone got the gift a car or house, you therefore won’t need to plan or save for a house or car. You should not give material things, and then sit idly by, expecting mystery millions to fall in your lap without adding value to anyone or engaging yourself in the process of production.

I know this is hard to swallow, but God’s blessing does not operate in a vacuum. God’s blessing does not obliterate hard work, creativity and innovation. God’s blessing does not encourage snoozing and standing aloof. I know God can choose to give you a car or a house and other material things without you spending a dime but this would be an exception. And I would like to reiterate that you do not live by exceptions which are underpinned by God’s sovereignty. By God’s sovereignty, He can choose to be merciful on whoever He pleases. For instance, God chose by an act of His sovereignty to ‘love’ Jacob and ‘hate’ Esau (Malachi 1:2-3).

In His sovereignty, God is not under any obligation, He does as He pleases without owing explanation to anyone. So, in the same vein, God can choose to bless a person with material things in abundance. This does not however mean He is obligated to bless everybody with material things in abundance.
We cannot live by God’s sovereign mercy which is randomly dispensed and bestowed on people as the Lord pleases. There is a more sure way to relate with God, secure His mercy and enjoy His largess; it is called the sure mercies of David which is underpinned by His everlasting covenant. The Bible says,
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. (Isaiah 55:3, KJV)

Note, that the operative words in the verse of Scripture above are COVENANT and SURE. By covenant God is obligated to man as man is obligated to God. This means both man and God share responsibilities in a covenant. So in the covenant, as it touches material prosperity the onus for performance is not only on God. The onus for performance is both on God and man. This means nothing will happen if God does His part and man fails to do his part. This is why a lot of Christians today do not get results because they only know about their new creation realities in Christ but fail to understand the new creation responsibilities in them. So, they exercise their faith without backing it up with work, the unpleasant consequences of which always leaves them shell-shocked.

By acts of God’s sovereignty, out of one thousand people, only two or three might become materially wealthy. But by covenant, out of one thousand people, one thousand will become materially wealthy! So, God’s sovereignty in geography parlance can be compared to weather which is largely unpredictable and capricious. While covenant can be compared to climate which is more predictable and more sure. You cannot bank on the weather of God’s sovereignty but you can bank on the climate of His everlasting covenant.

I do not regret to inform you that the path to material prosperity is not paved with giving material things – it is paved with enterprise, industry and value creation. To increase your material wealth you do not sow material things (remember I said overleaf whatever does not have the breath of God does not qualify to be called seed) you must trade with them. Remember the parable of the talents? The guy with one talent refused to trade; he rather elected to hide it in the ground (this sounds like sowing to me) and embrace apathy. What was the outcome? He was severely punished and that which he had was taken from him and given to the one who was ready to trade – engage in enterprise, industry and value creation.

THE PURPOSE OF GIVING

The primary purpose of giving is worship to God and service to man. When you give to God it is called worship; when you give to man it is called service. When you give to man at the command of God it is called worship service!
In the kingdom, material and/or financial prosperity are not among the reasons for giving. The Lord Jesus Himself condemned and still condemns giving for the primary reason of receiving something back – becoming materially wealthy! I would like to conclude this bit with the words of the Lord Jesus thus:

If you [merely] love those who love you, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? For even the [very] sinners love their lovers (those who love them). And if you are kind and good and do favors to and benefit those who are kind and good and do favors to and benefit you, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? For even the preeminently sinful do the same. And if you lend money at interest to those from whom you hope to receive, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? Even notorious sinners lend money at interest to sinners, so as to recover as much again. But love your enemies and be kind and do good [doing favors so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind and charitable and good to the ungrateful and the selfish and wicked. (Luke 6:32-35,AMP)