Giving money and the Kingdom of God

A couple of months ago, somebody asked me about tithing. It's a subject some folk get hot under the collar about from all sorts of angles. So I thought I'd approach things from a different direction, a bigger perspective and then try and draw out some practical ideas. I really hope this is helpful - Its an immense subject, books and books have been written. This is my brief overview. I'm open to changing my views too!

Jesus came and spoke and did amazing things. He talked of the Kingdom of God. 'Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven'. We see the beginnings of that in Acts, in love, power and using money.

In the Sermon on the Mount he showed that sometimes our attitudes to wealth and provision result in worry. His promise and cure is "So do not start worrying: 'Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?' (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things. Matthew 6:31-33

The Old Testament gives us God's ideas about Israel's National Economic Policy (a glimpse of what it's like in the Kingdom of God). It's breath taking in its care of the poor and redistribution of wealth. There are several tithes, one of which is about giving to the work of the temple and priesthood - and the priests themselves are to tithe to the poor -, then there are kinsman redeemers who would look after their families who have lost the bread earners for example, Sabbath years (every 7th year the land had to be left fallow - there's a need to trust God big time) and every 50th year was meant to be a year of jubilee. Land traded in business had to go back to the original families. All this provided for the poor, limited extremes of wealth, encouraged generosity and encouraged faith and trust in God. Surely the New Testament age should be better? It is...

In Acts (see chapters 2 and 4 especially) we see how the Holy Spirit takes all this and brings it into New Testament, family of God, household economics. I think its Jesus words worked out in practice.

Personally, I think it way exceeds tithing on every level. Its loving, just, generous, trusting and not pernickety rule based. The poor Greek widows for example get cared for - those with extra houses and fields could sell them up if they wanted (like Barnabus - but not like Ananias and Sapphira - Acts 5).

The whole economic model of Israel did foster a need to trust God and be generous. That seems to be Jesus teaching. He never encourages his disciples to think 'tithe' - his agenda is bigger. I don't think any of the New Testament does. The closest is 'proportionate giving'. I think that is 'if you have little, give appropriately out of what you have - if you have much give much'. In both cases - Jesus and Paul who follows Jesus, it's about really honestly, truthfully, prayerfully putting the kingdom first, generously, cheerfully and definitely NOT out of guilt. Some tithers might not be putting the Kingdom first; others might be thinking guiltily they should be tithing but because of low incomes are already putting the kingdom of God first big time, even though they cannot tithe.

Life is complicated. Maybe, like the widows, there are folk among us who cannot tithe. Maybe for some on benefits, to tithe would mean starvation. Maybe some have a husband who isn't a Christian and he earns all the money. Like in the scriptures "If you are eager to give, God will accept your gift on the basis of what you have to give, not on what you don't have." 2 Corinthians 8:12 (Read all of 2 Cor 8 and 9) At the other end of the financial scale, there may be some with six or seven figure incomes who tithe on the gross (before tax, national insurance) but still have huge amounts of finance spare even after spending on luxuries. I hope the next bit helps you all.

The Hereford Test - the practical stuff.

When I was in Hereford diocese, they offered this. For a month, keep track of all your 'non essential' spending. Also, keep a track of what you give to the kingdom of God. Prayerfully compare them - and take action! This is deliberately flexible. For example, in a high pressure job, you might consider several weeks abroad an essential rather than a luxury.

That little exercise can reveal that somebody on say £50 a week giving £1 prayerfully has absolutely no money for most basics - let alone any luxury. But somebody on £150,000 a year might be giving £15,000 but spending £10,000 on things they prayerfully consider luxuries and still have money spare. The latter might choose to give more.

Wesley started ministry with £50 a year. He wrote loads of medical books, even during his revival ministry, earning £1500 but still lived off the £50. Rick Warren (Purpose Driven Life) has given all his church earnings back to his church. The Worldwide Message Tribe could have kept their album sales - but chose to live off youth worker wages, giving the rest away. Archbishop Sentamu double tithes. Bill Gates (Windows supremo) is giving 45 billion of his 50 billion away. OK he can afford to - but that's the point, he can afford to give a bigger percentage proportionately.

Some folk choose to give 10% or more of gross earnings to church and other gifts elsewhere. I'm like that because I think the local church is God's primary way of reaching the world. And I can do it without starving and still have a holiday.

Statistically, in the UK, of those who do tithe, 52% of their tithe goes to charity and only 48% to their local church. Personally, I think that's a mistake- as local church is God's primary way of reaching the lost.

Prayerfully take the Hereford test. Prayerfully take the Love Test (putting the Kingdom First). Prayerfully take action. If you pay tax - use gift aid!

God Bless

Dave

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