A financial challenge, during financial challenge

This post is inspired by and contains much content from a sermon titled "Generous" which Pastor Mark Driscoll preached during Christmas time.  Having just had Easter celebrations, I figured now would be another good time to touch on generosity given the gift of salvation and forgiveness of sin that Easter accomplished. 

Driscoll briefly touched on a few statistics:

• In November 2008 534,000 people lost their jobs
• Economists agree we are in the worst economic and real estate downturn in 20 years

So money problems are very real.  His teaching continued out of 2 Corinthians 8-9 in which Paul is teaching the church in Corinth about the godly and gracious giving of the church in Macedonia. Both churches were facing an economic downturn like the one we are in now in the US. But the Corinthians were not facing the degree of financial challenge the Macedonians were. The Macedonians were facing "severe affliction, and extreme poverty" yet they had "abundant joy and overflowing generosity". They were "begging" to give generously, and showed no reluctancy.  How did they do that and feel that? The only way they could, is that they did not see money as their god--they had a biblical view of money. For many in America (including professing Christians) money is their god. And that god is now dead with no hope of "resurrecting" any time soon. They are desperate, depressed, and lost without their god. Driscoll conceeds that our economic slump is very real-- but for MOST of us, we are the church in Corinth, not the church in Macedonia.  Most of us have felt the pinch, seen our 401k's decrease, and seen our discretionary money dry up but are certainly not facing "severe affliction, and extreme poverty". 

No matter what our circumstance, we are called to give biblically.  So what is the biblical view?  Jesus found it important enough that he spoke of money about 25% of the time.  Everything we have is from the grace of God, and everything we have belongs to Him.  Everything we have is a gift and we are not owners, but stewards.  God has been generous with us (not only financially but in the humble giving of Christ for us) and we should be generous with others.  If we see our money as ours, we do not feel obligated to give it or share it with anyone.  If it's seen as God's money, than we feel blessed and honored and want to share it with others.  In this way, God should be accurately viewed as a giver...not a taker!  It is a big deal because generosity reveals the grace of God-- and that where our treasure is, our heart is.  It is one of the ways that show that we belong to Jesus and understand him.  If your joy is in the god of money and that god was crucified with no signs of resurrection, you have no reason for joy and generosity.  If your God is Jesus, than the source of your joy and generosity is still alive and well.

Unfortunately, many of us don't get it.  Here's some statistics from the book Passing the Plate (a thorough examination of Christian giving)- The worst givers statistically are:

• People under the age of 25
• Single adults who have never been married
• Liberals (I'm not trying to make a statement here)

Just in case you don't fit the above criterion and think yourself excused from scrutiny, here's some more that may include you (and me):

• Poorest Christians give the most money percentage-wise
• Statistically as you make more money you give less percentage wise-- until you get to the ultra-wealthy who give at a percentage that is similar (but still less) than the poorest
• More than one out of four American protestants give away no money at all-  This means that more than 25% of us say "I love and worship Jesus....and do nothing for the cause"  Not to mention fail to recognize giving as an act of worship and a Gospel issue.

So, this time of economic downturn is an amazing chance for us Christians to SHOW the gospel by giving generously.  Not with a legalistic percentage, but each according to our financial situation.  So let's give with "abundant joy and overflowing generosity" whether we are in Corinth or Macedonia...for the sake and glory of Jesus.