The beginning of a new year is a time when many individuals and most churches will have formulated and adopted a budget as their plan for monetary gathering and spending. A basic question sincere believers should ask in light of God’s graciousness and generosity is: “How then should we give?”
The Bible does not leave us groping for mere human answers to this basic question. In particular, this week Theology 101 seeks to respond to individual church members.
As a beginning point, the Bible addresses our attitude toward giving. It advises that we give cheerfully. In fact, 2 Corinthians 9:7 declares, “God loves a cheerful giver.”
At the risk of a dash of cynicism, we might try to recall how often we have seen people break out in broad smiles or quiet laughter when the offering plates are passed during Sunday worship services. But faithful financial stewardship is one channel through which all of us can serve God at some level. That being so, we do well to recall that Psalm 100:2 admonishes, “Serve the Lord with gladness.”
Systematic giving
Not only with cheer and gladness ought we to give, but also Christians should give regularly or as is often expressed, “systematically.” The Bible instructs, “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper” (1 Cor. 16:2). Since every week has a “first day,” this plan for giving, if followed, furnishes a way for believers to practice regular giving.
Many receive their income on a biweekly or monthly basis, and the principle of systematic giving can flex to a biweekly or monthly regularity — which preserves the spirit of giving in obedience to the Bible’s call.
Give as God prospers us
That same verse from 1 Corinthians 16 also teaches us that our giving should be proportionate.
To give as God prospers us means not everyone will give the same amount. The people of God from ancient times have practiced making the tithe the determiner of the proportion.
One might be inclined to protest that giving a tenth was the expectation under the Old Testament law, under which Christians do not live since Christ came. The question Christians must answer is: “Should not the principle of grace under the New Covenant of grace at least match, if not exceed, the expectation under the Old Covenant of Law?”
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