Back Door Greed

“90% of your finances with God's blessing will always go further than 100% without it.”

A popular pastor tweeted that statement yesterday. It’s not the first time that I have heard those statements. I have probably even said similar things myself. And that’s okay because there is a good amount of truth to the statement. I just wonder if maybe it’s a wrong focus. Giving to God shouldn’t be a way to slip our dreams for prosperity in through the back door. What if giving 10% of my income really is a sacrifice and it doesn’t “go further” than 100% of it would? What if it causes me pain to give?

I am not saying that God does not and will not take care of our needs. He will. But if we are not careful we will use faithful giving as a means to strengthen our idol of money. Give God 10% and he’ll make your 90% bigger. Sometimes it sounds like we are saying, If you give Santa Claus cookies and milk and Rudolph a carrot he will make sure that you get sweet presents.

I simply wonder if we are neutering the gospel of it’s “come and die” call as it regards our finances. What if we said, “Giving this percentage of your income is going to hurt. It is going to be a sacrifice. It will mean that you cannot get that new truck you want. It might mean that you need to buy the off brand Pop-Tarts that taste like cardboard. But you know what the cause of the gospel is worth it”.

Consider the poor widow in Luke 21:1-4. Her giving was truly sacrificial. It hurt. She wasn’t giving two copper coins because she figured that somehow the Lord would bless her and give her six copper coins back. She was sacrificing. That means that she’s giving and not expecting a return on her investment. Shouldn’t our giving be less of a financial investment plan and more of a sacrifice for the kingdom?