I have to tell you, I hate to ask for money. It makes me very uncomfortable. And, frankly, I don't think I should have to do it. In my little brain, I have this idea that people love their church. They know that the Bible teaches that we should give 10%, yet 1/3 of those that attend most churches give nothing at all.
I talk to folks, I listen to folks. They love their church for the most part. I think, ok, when we joined, we agreed to support the church with our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness- right? I just think that we ought to go ahead and actually do it.
So whether it is for a building, the general fund, missions, or something else, I hate to ask. I just hope that you will give from the heart.
What happens at the church is so important. So many good things spring from there. Families helped, marriages saved, kids grow up into fine young people. Decisions for Christ. It is all worth it. In fact, giving to the church is one of the best investments that I have ever made.
So, as uncomfortable as I am about doing so, I will probably need to keep asking folks to give. We all have to be reminded from time to time that ultimately our spirituality is the most important part of life.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
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2 comments:
Jeff, if there were some way to change the philosophy of giving to a sense of "it's a privilege to be able to give", versus "it's an obligation," it might require less uncomfortable asking on the part of pastors like you.
If people could become so overwhelmed by how much God loves them that they could not help but give, this would create a completely different scenario.
When people get the real meaning of life and the real meaning of how incredibly we are blessed by God, they will not be able to help but give.
I love the song "Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart," If you leave the word "Thanks" blank, you could put almost any word in there, including money, and it speaks to why we need to give. The song goes on to say "let the weak say I am strong, let the poor say I am rich."
The way we see who we are and who God is results in the way we view giving. It's not an obligation, but a privilege and blessing.
I guess another way to define legitimate philosophies for why we should give is this.
Giving should be an involuntary response. It should be something we can't keep from doing, once we realize how much God has given us. Even the breath that we breath. In fact, most of us probably don't come close to comprehending what God has given us.
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