Christian giving: A complex matter?

Each day, we are assaulted by news of the economic crisis in Europe and its possible consequences for Australia. Our news outlets feature the daily stock market report and the fortunes of the Australian dollar. However, for many Australian families trying to live on one income, such matters are very remote, but the advent of ever increasing compulsory superannuation has made most Australians, not only self funded retirees, more interested in wider financial matters.

For Christians, being part of the world and also being responsible to God have created a series of issues about how they should use their money and wealth. This, of course, is not the only issue created for Christians by economic changes. The type of job, how they seek promotion and how they use their time are but a few other matters in the area of worldly demands versus godly responsibility.

In this article I want to share some thoughts on the matter of Christians and their money, especially giving. I don’t have any superior knowledge, or wish to send readers on a guilt trip and I am not attempting to raise funds for anything. Nor is what I have to say comprehensive. It’s just some views about negotiating the world of finance from a Christian perspective.

Are Australians good givers?

By world standards, not necessarily God’s standards, Australians per capita are good givers. The World Giving Index measuring financial giving to charities (70%), the provision of voluntary services in the last month (38%) and the helping of a stranger in the last month (64%) places Australia at the top with a score of 57%. (The Guardian)

While the volunteer rate is down, Australia scores well in the other two categories and at the top in giving to charities. When considering the outpouring of generosity at home after the Queensland floods, and away from home after the 2004 tsunami, it is easy to accept these figures. However, other measures are not so good and philanthropy, significant giving from those who have most, and corporate giving, are well behind other western countries. As I watched the Santos sponsored Australia Downunder cycling tour I wondered why Santos, a mainly gas energy company, had suddenly decided to make its name known in the community through advertising and by sponsoring a major event. I am sure that their desire to change negative community attitudes to coal seam gas mining and their association with this extraction had a lot to do with it. Very few wealthy individual Australians and companies have a history of generous giving.

From a purely secular viewpoint, Australia is one of the world’s wealthiest countries and on the 2010 Quality of Life index rates Number 2 behind France http://internationalliving.com/2010/02/quality-of-life-2010/ and Sydney rates Number 11 in the world cities index. http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/quality-of-living-report-2011 Yet these figures should be of little interest to Christians as they are accountable to God first and not to any humanistic community support for giving, however great that might be in a wealthy country like Australia.

Are Christians different?

They should be, but in reality Christians like the rest of the community, differ in their attitudes to money and giving. Some of the Biblical principles affecting these attitudes can be explored.

Generosity

In 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Paul accepts that some will be rich and encourages them to be rich in good deeds and generous with their wealth. Being a Christian is about generosity not only in wealth but in time and love. Here the recognition is God’s generosity in sending Christ to die for our sins and providing the opportunity for a new way to God. Because of what he has done for us, we also ought to be generous. Generosity is a mind-set and people look to give their time, help and money to God’s work including those in need.

Generosity can create issues for Christians. Is it a responsible position to give everything away, or most, and have to rely on others, including the Government, for basic needs, especially if those others are family members? Yet, giving substantially to others outside the family can create other problems of jealousy which in turn can cause breakdowns in relationships between family members. In addition, generous people can be easily taken in by unscrupulous people and their wealth depleted. Even some Christian churches promoting a prosperity gospel can relieve Christians of their wealth on the belief that God will reimburse individuals for their generosity, an Old Testament founded argument not substantiated in the New Testament.

Nonetheless, Christians need to be careful that generosity prevails and not use bad experiences of giving, whether theirs or other people’s, as excuses to be tight fisted with money and wealth.

Tithing

Tithing played a huge part in the thinking and practice of the people of the Old Testament and Jesus both released his followers from its legalistic compliance and expended it to a generous attitude to life. Do not store up for yourselves…. (Matthew 6:19), No one can serve two masters…. (Matthew 5:24) Give to the one who asks…. (Matthew 5:42). Unlike Paul’s comments about generously supporting brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus’ attention is always to the whole of humanity which poses a great challenge for Christians.

Because it is so easy to be caught up in the attitudes of the world, some Christians use tithing as a guide to giving often seeing it as a way to keep a check on their minimum giving. But even this poses issues. Is this giving in pre-tax dollars or post tax dollars? How is this tithing to be apportioned between local church, para-church organisations and wider Christian missions and community groups?

What constitutes Christian giving? Is it exclusively to church and other Christian organisations? Are the fees for a child at a Christian school part of giving? Are donations to non-Christian charities part of giving? Different Christians will have different answers. However, the more they err on the side of generosity the less significant such questions become.

Stewardship

Many Christians stumble on the issue of stewardship. At one level it is easy to acknowledge that everything they have comes from God and that they are but stewards of what he has given them. But at a practical level, Christians can easily fall into line with the goals of accumulation of wealth, seeking higher incomes and devoting their time to their work all of which says more about their ownership than God’s ownership.

Prosperous Christians can be asset rich and cash poor leaving them unable to meet the needs of others when God might call upon their wealth. Their assets can be locked into property, shares and more liquid assets like fixed deposits and lines of credit. They are all legitimate but can sometimes leave individuals short of cash and unable to respond to God’s call on their wealth. In a rich society, rich Christians need some cash reserves, irrespective of the interest rate differential, to be sure that they can respond appropriately with the resources God has given them.

Managing money has always been a matter of risk and return. Christians should not seek to maximise returns only by investments that provide the highest risk and highest interest. If it looks too good to be true, then invariably it is too good to be true. Greed is an important factor and must be countered by rational Christian principles and actions. For instance, it is never wise to borrow money to chase a higher interest rate and maximise returns. Such investments are by nature less secure and subject to the variances of the market. There are some local councils and at least one church denomination that learnt this lesson the hard way in recent years with millions lost.

Christians are challenged by savings in compulsory superannuation funds during a time when the returns from managed funds have been very poor, if not losses. Setting up future income steams is a very important matter and one that requires considerable understanding of the risks and alternatives. One principle to be used for those involved in self managed funds and super lump sum payouts is to keep a diverse portfolio for the long term so that an income stream can be maintained and the overall funds protected from the variances of the market. If this is not the case, Christians can be sucked into continuous monitoring of the market, buying and selling to try and maximise their returns, and thus devoting considerable time and energy on wealth accumulation. God calls his people to be stewards of what he has given them for the work of the kingdom, and not only money and assets, and not to be distracted by the desire to maximise returns at the cost of their time, health, job and family and involvement in Christian community.

Juggling priorities

As mentioned above, one of the difficulties for Christians is where the giving should be directed – family, local church, para-church organisations, overseas mission and welfare for the wider community and does it matter? Some issues to consider are:

In the Spirit

Giving for Christians is not a simple matter. There are some guiding principles, but a host of possible applications, The New Testament is strong on generosity which can be best exercised once stewardship is embraced with a belief that all money and assets are God’s. Each Christian will no doubt have their own view and answers to these questions. It is my hope that each of us will review our answers regularly because, where wealth and money are concerned, it is too easy to become part of the world and begin to think that we own them.

Reviewing our accountability by examining the principles of giving, seeking to be more generous and committing these matters to prayer will go a long way to acting in a Godly manner using the resources he has given us. Some Christians will have giving as a high priority within their local church and others will be led by God to other areas of Kingdom work. Being open to God’s leading and taking action on that lead should make us more secure about how God might view what we are doing with what he has given us.

Rick Warren has the following sentence at the beginning of his book The Purpose Driven Life: It’s not about you. I think my sentence in a book on Christians and money would be It’s not yours. An understanding of these messages changes lives.

John Gore