How to Get Rich!

Readings for today: 2 Corinthians 9-10, Psalms 3

Greed seems to be part of human nature. There’s an impulse deep inside all of us that craves wealth. Craves possessions. Craves material things and the “easy life” that comes along with such things. I cannot tell you the number of people I’ve met and counseled over the years who wanted to get rich quick. This desire pushed them to take incredible risks in business or with their personal finances. They leverage themselves to the hilt. They speculate on all kinds of commodities like land, precious metals, foreign currency, you name it. They play the lottery every single week hoping their lucky number comes up. Sadly, the ship never does come in. The big deal never quite materializes. Things never seem to go their way and the impact on their lives and the lives of those they love is heartbreaking. I think of one man I knew many years ago who had put his family almost a million dollars in debt. He carried himself like he was wealthy. Made all kinds of promises to people. Even told me he was planning on funding our annual budget as a church out of his pocket once the “big deal” he was working on came through. Tragically, the house of cards he built came crashing down on him. His business failed. His creditors came to collect. The bills came due. He had to declare bankruptcy, sell everything he owned, and move to a small apartment which he could barely afford on social security. Eventually, he passed away and left his widow destitute.

Friends, God has a better way. It’s the way of generosity. The reality is all wealth comes from God. Everything we earn through our hard work is a gift from God. He is the one who shaped and formed us in our mother’s wombs. He is the one who gave us our gifts and talents abilities. He is the one who opens doors and creates opportunities for us to take advantage of in life. And if we prove faithful and seek first His Kingdom and do all we can to be good stewards of what He entrusts to us, then He will entrust us with even more. Listen to how the Apostle Paul describes it to the wealthy Corinthian church, “The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart — not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work…You will be enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” (2 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬-‭8‬, ‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭CSB‬‬) What an incredible promise! You will be enriched in every way as you are generous in every way. You will be given wealth beyond what you expect so that you can give in ways you never dreamed. The more you give, the more you will be given. The more you sacrifice, the more God will entrust into your hands. You will have everything you need so you might excel in every good work. These are not principles for a “health and wealth” gospel. The goal here is not for you to hoard your wealth but to give it away. And as you give generously and sacrificially to the Lord, you will be supplying not only the needs of fellow Christians but also many, many others in your community, resulting in a great outpouring of thanksgiving to God.

This, of course, begs the question…what should I give? How much? How should I determine it? Notice Paul doesn’t command a “tithe” here. There is no mention of a percentage or a goal or a target. Instead, Paul trusts the Holy Spirit. He calls on all Christians to prayerfully go before the Lord and ask Him what they should give. This is what he means when he says each Christian should “do as he has decided in his heart.” We shouldn’t give out of obligation. We shouldn’t give out of fear or shame. We shouldn’t give because we’re forced to or feel like we ought to. We should give cheerfully and joyfully and sacrificially, knowing God takes what we give and multiplies it many times over for His Kingdom and His glory. This is what it means to be rich, friends.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Corinthians 11-13, Psalms 4

Tithing

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 13-14, Psalms 57

When I first became a Christian, I was taught to give a tithe to the Lord. One tenth of all I made belonged to Him. Give it to the church. Give it to different ministries. Support missionaries. It didn’t matter so much who you gave it to as long as it furthered God’s Kingdom causes. My wife and I have never wavered in our commitment to give at least ten percent of our income to the Lord but when you read the Old Testament, you find out really quickly that “tithing” involves more than simply giving ten percent away.

Yes, the ancient Israelites were commanded to give ten percent to the priests each year. Since the priests were dedicated to the service of God, they needed the proceeds from the annual tithe to live on. However, it is clear from our reading today that the Lord commanded the Israelites to set aside a second tithe. This second tithe provided the food and drink for them to eat when they traveled to Jerusalem for the annual festivals. If they were close to Jerusalem, they would bring their food with them. If they were far from Jerusalem, they would convert it to cash and buy what they needed when they arrived. Then the Lord commands a third tithe. This one was to be given every three years and it was for the poor, the fatherless, and the widow. In other words, this was the welfare system of ancient Israel. So if you do the math, the practice of “tithing” actually ends up being 23% a year!

So what principles should guide the Christian as they give? After all, priests and pastors make salaries. We don’t have to leave our work in order to travel multiple times a year for annual festivals in Jerusalem. And our government provides a social safety net to take care of the poor in our midst. Does this mean we are off the hook? Not at all. Over and above the required tithes, the ancient Israelites also brought “freewill offerings” to the Lord. They would give above and beyond their ancient taxation system in order to further God’s work in the world. And the New Testament calls us to do the same. The Apostle Paul - raised in the ancient taxation system of ancient Israel as a former Pharisee - writes these words to the Corinthian church, “The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart — not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver…You will be enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” (2 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬-‭7‬, ‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Essentially he’s talking about the principles guiding freewill offerings.

Frankly, I think the tithe is too low a standard. If the ancient Israelites - who were largely poor, agrarian farmers - gave generously above and beyond the required tithes, should not we - who live in one of the wealthiest nations in human history - do the same? It’s why my wife and I have committed to growing our giving with each passing year. And here’s what we’ve learned. The more we give, the more God entrusts into our hands. We simply cannot outgive God! He enriches us in every way so we can be even more generous. It’s truly amazing and one of the most concrete ways we experience His miracles on a regular basis.

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 15-16, Psalms 58