On Giving (part 3): Sacrificially
Over the last few weeks our words of Exhortation have focused on principles of giving. We encouraged giving cheerfully, regularly, and today I’m going to finish the series by talking about giving sacrificially. On one hand, giving sacrificially is the most straightforward of the 3 exhortations we’re giving. We want our giving to mean something. We want it to be a reflection of our values. To give part of your income that could have been used on other things to the church is a sacrifice and a sign of a desire to follow Jesus.
But when you look at Jesus’s teachings on money, he is light on specific details about what sacrifice is required in giving. Rather than giving us straightforward commands to follow, like tithe 10% of your income, his teachings focus on our hearts and our relationship to money. He uses statements like, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34). Or, “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6: 24).
So, what does sacrificial giving look like according to the Bible? I’m going to give you two ideas to evaluate your own giving. First, God himself models sacrificial giving in the gospel. The gospel teaches that we were unworthy sinners who took God’s gifts of life and breath and everything, and we squandered them on ourselves. But God continued giving. He offered up his son Jesus as the sacrifice we needed to redeem us back from our sin. Jesus sacrificed comfort for unimaginable suffering on our behalf. The idea of sacrifice is baked into the Christian life. Following Christ means living like he lived. And sacrificial giving was at the very heart of his life. Christian, you can’t out-give God. If you want to follow Christ, there is no part of your life that gets held back. Every bit of time and your treasure you own are his to deploy.
Second, sacrificial giving is an investment. Jesus often contrasts the treasures of earth and the treasures of heaven. The treasure of earth doesn’t just mean a person’s bank account. In fact, Jesus never condemns great wealth. Money, in and of itself, doesn’t mean anything. It only has value for what it can do for us. Money is often used to gain power, experiences, comfort, or joy. So why are these things a poor investment according to Jesus? Because Jesus knows that God is the ultimate and only lasting source of joy and comfort. Any benefit that comes from an earthly treasure is shallow and fleeting.
But the treasure of heaven is solid and permanent. Jesus wants us to invest our lives pursuing lasting treasure, not fleeting treasure. What does that look like?
Investing in heavenly treasure looks like intentionally structuring your budget to limit worldly treasure. Not filling your house or your mind with the things of this earth will help you to value the treasure of heaven.
It looks like caring for the poor and marginalized in your community with both money and time. At multiple points, Jesus tells someone in love with their money to sell all they have and give to the poor. Not to condemn all wealth, but to free them from the love of money.
I know of Christians who used their means to intentionally purchase a house with extra bedrooms so they could welcome others in when needed.
I knew a family who went and helped missionaries put on a VBS in their community rather than taking a beach vacation.
These are just examples, but they illustrate the principle that sacrificial giving is an investment. When you give, do you feel like you are sending money into a black hole? Jesus’s words here are telling you that it is not. When you give sacrificially to the church, you are investing in the Kingdom of God. There are real benefits, both now and in eternity.
But the opposite is also true. The more you invest in the treasures of earth, the more your giving will feel like a waste. Kingdom giving has a bad rate of return for those with worldly tastes.
All of us will spend our time and our money investing in something. Jesus calls us in both his example and his teaching to give sacrificially because the treasure of heaven is better than the treasure of earth.