Giving Equals Grace

What does it mean to tithe?  We hear this term every week and they pass the bags along, but what does it mean to actually tithe?  If we are to look at the term itself, we will see that it technically means “a tenth,” implying ten percent of income.  Usually, this takes the form of money.  When you think about it and look at tithing, do you obey a strict ten percent rule?  Perhaps your family pays you to pick rocks, wash dishes or mow the lawn; do you tithe from it at all?  Connected to any call to tithe (or give) is a need to figure out what it is and how it affects your life as a Christian.  There are many notions that tithing is a discipline (practice) that Christians are called to that will bring about immediate rewards.  There is even a song that was around a decade ago which stated: “Give and it will come back to you.”  The truth is, giving should not be done in an effort to acquire more, but as a sign of obedience to God’s call on a Christian’s life which is a form of Grace.

II Corinthians 8:1-7:
We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.

Reading this passage, there are a few things about tithing that are important to realize: poverty + joy = generosity, giving is to God and that giving is actually grace.
It is easy to think of yourself as materially poor. You are obviously children to the eyes of this world and are not expected to have a great income.  Whatever amount of money your families might have, it is not technically yours and therefore could not be counted on your W-2’s.  What you lack in material wealth though, you make up in joy.  When I see your faces, I cannot help but feel the joy that is obviously welling up in you!  The important thing to notice about yourselves is that you are just like the Macedonian Church! They were poor yet had an abundance of joy and Paul says that their joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity!  If you remember nothing else about today, remember that it does not take big bank accounts in order to overflow with generosity.  Jesus talks about a poor widow who gave only a penny, yet gave more than a wealthy man who gave loads of cash.  Whether you give out of your allowance or your booming enterprise of washing cars (my truck could use a wash, by the way), when your giving is coupled with your joy, it can easily amount to generosity as long as it is given to God.
You see, simply giving money to a good cause is not really giving, it’s a donation.  Giving means you are giving to God, so that He might be glorified in peoples’ lives.  Looking at this passage, we see that “they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.”  Whether you are giving to the Church, supporting a missionary or giving to another Christian organization, you are giving to God.  This is important to know because there are some places and organizations that do not see the money coming in as having a higher purpose (that God be given glory) and therefore do not use the money wisely.  Others might know it has a higher purpose, but still do not use the money wisely.  Since God is calling you to give to Him, it’s your responsibility to make sure that when you give, you are giving to God, not simply a Christian organization.  This can be done by looking at what the Church or organization does with the money and that they use it for specific work proclaiming the Gospel because when the Gospel is proclaimed, it is an act of grace.
Teaching others about who Christ is and what He has done is an act of grace in itself, and that is what our giving should be supporting.  This passage states that Titus was to complete the act of grace (giving) and that the Church as a whole was to excel in this act of grace. There is no greater grace than to hear about a God who loved someone so much that He gave His only Son to die for them, even though they are rotten and undeserving to even mention the name of His Son: Jesus Christ. By giving to the Church or other Christian organizations, you are performing this act of grace, even though you aren’t the actual person who might have the conversation, give a change of clothes or a meal, you are still performing this act of grace.  It is important to realize that it is not just your money that you are called to give; you are also to give of yourself, which is as much grace (if not more) as giving of your money.  The Bible is clear that we are all supposed to give. It is very pointed that we are supposed to give wisely and to give both of ourselves and of our money.  As you think about yourself right now, do you think that you are just a kid and unable to give or do you think that God has put you into a position where your joy and poverty can turn into generosity, which is grace?