Why Should I Give?

Reason #2
All Money is God’s Money

Have you ever been confronted by one of your parents (or maybe you were the parent doing the confronting) for something they found in your room while you were not home?  This has happened to most teenagers I know, as well as myself when I was a teen.  When this happens, your initial reaction will be to say, “What were you doing in my room?”  To which your parent will usually respond, “That is my room, I just let you live there.”  

The Same Concept 

The same concept applies when it comes to God and our money.  All money we have is God’s money, he just allows us to manage it.  Here are a few verses that suggest this truth: 

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.  The world and all its people belong to him.”  (Psalm 24:1 NLT)

“The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” (Haggai 2:8 NLT)

“But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.”  (Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV)

Because we do not own any of our money, it is our job to manage it in a way that brings God the most glory.  The mindset of “That’s my money!” has to leave us if we are going to be successful managers.

In his book, The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn writes,

“A steward manages assets for the owner’s benefit.  The steward carries no sense of entitlement to the assets he manages.  It’s his job to find out what the owner wants done with his assets, then carry out his will.”

What About You?

Maybe as you are reading this blog post you realize you have the “That’s my money!” mindset and you are becoming uncomfortable at even the thought of giving some of “your” money away.  Don’t worry!  This is a good indication that God is already stirring your heart for action in giving.  Why is it so uncomfortable Because we are fallen people, and sinners are selfish by nature.  It is not a human quality to be generous and give money to the church, it is a godly quality.  So if you are experiencing some conviction and uneasiness, remember it’s normal.  God is working on your heart and teaching you to trust him.

I Am Certain of This

When God’s people accept this concept of “All money is God’s money” and combine it with the previous “Our hope is in Jesus, not money” concept from previous blogs, the way money is viewed and handled drastically changes, and God is glorified.  They quickly become Zacchaeus Kinds of Christians.

The next blog post will cover the specific ways God calls us to give.

In Christ,

Jeremy