Grace Giving- Traveling Light

One of my financial planner friends- Michael- encouraged me to balance my attack on tithing with a picture of what grace giving should look like under the new covenant of Christ.

I agreed that this was a good idea and this post is my attempt to do so. Let me start off by saying that one of the dangers of taking a stand on something is that people will view you as a hypocrite when your life doesn't match your beliefs.

For example, Al Gore speaks about the need for environmental reform. But he spent over $30k on electricity and natural gas in 2006 in his 10,000 square foot home. This makes him an easy target for critics that he is unwilling to make necessary sacrifices to be environmentally friendly.

In that sense, I admit that I am a hypocrite. The ideals that I espouse are goals that I strive for but fall short of. I am painfully aware that I could consume less than I do. I eat too much. Live in a house that is more than I need. I have more stuff than I need. I buy things and then days later ask, "Why did I do that?" I am not as conscious about waste as I should be. I give less than I could if I was willing to make more sacrifices, etc...


I am aware of my faults and try to make improvements as I journey through this life. My heroes are those who are content with less and view money and possessions as something to be funneled to others in need. I love what the English pastor John Stott said, "We should travel light and simply. Our enemy is not possessions, but excess."


In a nutshell, this is what I believe about grace giving under the new covenant. Possessions and things are gifts from God. Everything that God has created is good. We are to enjoy natural beauty and the improvements on creation that have come through the cultivation/innovation of mankind who are instructed to be stewards of God's resources- Genesis 1:28. We are to enjoy these things with gratitude.

God has showered the US with great financial wealth and abundance. Have we done anything to deserve this? No. It is the outflow of God's mercy. Has this abundance come directly as a result of tithing to a local church? I believe the answer is no. God's common grace showers plenty of evil men and women with abundance also. This is why the prosperity gospel is false.

Tom Verace a pastor in Arlington said this in a recent sermon, "Sometimes we are selling popsicles in the midst of a heat wave." Our prosperity can be attributed to good economic times not a direct result of God owing us anything for our faithfulness.

So the question is: what should we do with the resources that God brings our way? I believe there are some key questions we need to ask ourselves:

1. How much do I need to live?

We should evaluate what is needed for our families. This should be a prayerful process. What is wrong for one family might be right for another. But the challenge should be towards getting rid of excess in every area of life. For me this has had some practical implications: dropping 40 lbs of excess body weight; building a house with a small yard; purging any possession that has not been put to use in the last 12 months.

A recent song by Switchfoot titled American Dream has these lyrics,

When success is equated with excess
The ambition for excess wrecks us
When the top of the mind becomes the bottom line
When success is equated with excess

I want out of this machine
It doesn't feel like freedom
This ain't my American dream
I want to live for bigger things

2. How much do I need to give, save and/or pay down debt?

Most Americans don't save enough. But some save too much. Too much money in the bank at the end of life can be as worthless as too many possessions. There should be a finish line for every Christian. Howard Dayton writes, "you don't see runners crossing a finish line of a race and continuing to run." Once we determine our Number, we should consider radical generosity with everything above this Number.

In other words, I believe that financial freedom is a worthwhile goal. We owe it to our spouses and kids to be striving for financial strength. Financial freedom allows us to use time and money in ways that are glorifying to God. When we are saddled by debt or financial worries, there is a tendency to make decisions that are less than ideal.

Debt should be attacked aggressively. Wise King Solomon said, "...you know not what disaster may happen..."- Eclessiastes 11:2. Being completely debt-free is wise. But being debt-free on a 8000 square foot home is different than being debt-free on a 2000 square foot home. Are you really free if your lifestyle requires massive overhead each month just to break even?

I believe that giving is a discipline. I am always in favor for setting giving goals each month/year and stretching towards those goals. But as I have written before, I just don't see the scriptural argument towards saying that 10% of your income must be given to a local church.

Everything we own or will own belongs to God. I have never earned a dollar that is not the direct result of God's grace. He can take my breath away any moment He desires. He can strip me of materials and abundance in a second and I will have no basis for complaint about God's unfairness in doing so.

But if He chooses to bring resources my way, my responsibility is to view every dollar and decision as part of a sacred trust. I am His steward. Whether I spend, give, save or pay off debt; I am to do all things for the glory of God.

Naturally the steward's heart will want to give generously. My desire is that Christ would increase and I would decrease- John 3:30. What this means to me is that I should strive for moderation and strategic simplicity in the way I live. And if my income rises, I should give a greater percentage each year. I don't believe the percentage matters. God sees the heart and he sees through all the ways we try to justify our goodness and faithfulness.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge