Giving: A Sign of Spiritual Maturity?

[GoldenEagle]

Discussion questions (feel free to answer one, a couple, or all of them):

1. Do you agree with the article?
2. Which stage do you feel you’re in right now?
3. What has been your attitude toward giving?
4. Are there times to give and times not to give?

God bless,
GE
 

Giving: A Sign of Spiritual Maturity

By Adam Faughn 

The Bible addresses money and possessions on numerous occasions. Due to the sheer volume of passages in Scripture that speak to this subject, I feel compelled as a minister to mention it often in sermons. When God speaks about one subject that many times, He must be trying to tell us something.
 

In Acts 20:35 (NIV), we have the famous statement from our Lord, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” While our Lord was not only speaking about money, it is interesting how many people take that passage and apply it to every area of life except giving financially to the work of the Church. Of course, there are countless ways in which we can give, and those ways can be to God’s glory, but the most obvious and straightforward way is giving to the Church.
 

Giving is part of who we are, and our attitude toward it should cause us to consider our spiritual maturity. While no one “progresses” in a uniform manner through these stages, I think there are at least four stages of spiritual maturity that are clearly displayed in our attitude toward giving.


 

Stage 1: “I won’t.”

Some never really are in this stage, but many are. We refuse to give, because we are still holding too tightly to the things of this world. Maybe we think that giving to the Church is only furthering some type of scam, or maybe we are just skeptical of the Church. For many, these are perfectly natural feelings.
 

For others, however, they know the work of the Church well, but they refuse to give because their hearts are hard. They refuse to give because their trust is still in themselves, and they can’t really stand the idea of just giving away money. In fact, they may think they are just throwing it away.
 

Stage 2: “I will, but I won’t like it.”

Paul addressed this mindset in 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV), when he said that we should not give “reluctantly or under compulsion.” Some write their check or pull some paper currency out of their wallet only because they know it is expected of them. There is no joy whatsoever in the giving, because their mind is still thinking about what else they could have done with those dollars.
 

In reality, this is a common problem for many in any area of worship. We can get caught up in going through the motions and not really having a heart in the matter. When it comes to giving, however, this problem is amplified, because our minds are focused on ourselves, and what we could have done if we hadn’t dropped those few dollars on the plate.
 

Stage 3: “I will because it helps out.”

Now we begin to see the heart changed. While we may not fully understand the deepest of reasons to give, we are starting to see that, when we give, we get. We are noticing that the poor are helped. We see that children are taught about Jesus. We see that widows and orphans are given good care, and that ministers are paid so that they can dig deeply into the Word of God.

We may not necessarily increase the amount we give at this point, but our heart is starting to change. We feel a connection to where the money is going and the good it is doing.
 

Stage 4: “I will because I want to thank God.”

This is a totally transformed person. This is the person who realizes the true joy of giving (2 Corinthians 9:7). We feel so moved by what God did in our behalf through Jesus Christ that we cannot help but give. We know we could never repay God for what He did, but we can still give out of gratitude.
 

Conclusion

At times, each of us will be at various stages. We may move up and down at various points in our lives. Our goal, however, should be to focus on Christ and to pour our gratitude to God for the amazing plan He put in place to save us. When our minds are focused there, we will thank Him in many ways, including in our giving.

 

 

 

[cozmoe]

I agree   2 Corinthians 9:7  Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Malachi 3:10   Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

 

Lot of ways we can give , I tend to agree with giving 10% to Lord , { some don't and that's ok } and helping those in need the best we can financially as long as we know it wont enable bad behavior or habits  . we can give with our time helping others too 

 

Luke 21:1-4

New International Version (NIV)

The Widow’s Offering

21 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Edited August 6, 2013 by cozmoe

[Qnts2]

In my view, maturity is best measured by the fruit of the Spirit.

 

Galatians 5:

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

²³ Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

 

The evidence of these fruit is also evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives so these fruit become apparent. While giving might be a measure of maturity, it is not always a measure of maturity as some non-Christians are very generous givers.

 

Statistically, the Jewish people are among the largest givers per capita. Charity is central in Judaism, and engaging in charity is 'repairing the world'.

 

In Judaism, the following are the different levels of charity:

 

1. Giving begrudgingly
2. Giving less that you should, but giving it cheerfully.
3. Giving after being asked
4. Giving before being asked
5. Giving when you do not know the recipient's identity, but the recipient knows your identity
6. Giving when you know the recipient's identity, but the recipient doesn't know your identity
7. Giving when neither party knows the other's identity
8. Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant

 

 The women who gave the 'widows mite' gave out of need, but because of her love of God. Others have given out of need, but in faith that God will provide for their needs.   I realize it is not the giving but what is behind the giving, love and faith are both fruit of the Spirit.

[Willa]

I realized that all of us should give, but we should also evangelize, making disciples, and give to the poor. While some of us are compelled to give out of gratitude, we find it more difficult to share the gospel. Paul said he was compelled to preach the Gospel, but he also gave to the poor. I assume that he also tithed because he was a Jew. But what I am saying that we contribute to the church first according to the gifts given us. We contribute to the needs of the church according to the needs that we see, and that defines our spiritual gifts as well.

I had a pastor who always talked about giving because this was the last area of his life that he finally surrendered to God; in his mind the two went together, and giving meant a surrendered life. But i don't believe this is necessarily so. I know some whose burning desire is friendship evangelism. They are always looking for ways to plant seeds in the lives of unbelievers or backsliders. Meanwhile they pour their lives into helping them with gifts of service or helps, always being available to help repair a car or whatever they can do. Yet their giving is not a tithe. I do believe their lives are fully surrendered to God and the have their priorities straight. Perhaps in time their monitary giving will increase. But that is God's business as they walk in the Spirit. And perhaps my compassion for the lost will someday overcome my reluctance to speak up and I will be filled with boldness.

Love and a surrendered life that walks in the Spirit are perhaps better guages of maturity.