Moderator’s Musings

by Blaine Miner

One of the lessons of faithful living is the discipline of giving. We are taught to tithe and we read in scripture that one tenth ought to be reserved for God. As I was growing up, I heard the sermons and listened to family discussions about giving.

As a young adult, money can be tight. The responsibilities of starting a family can place a burden when entry level jobs do not pay very well. Some scrimp and save to set aside for a home. As families grow, the struggle seems to intensify. Often both parents must work to have enough to cover the necessities and having anything left to give to charity can be difficult.

Several of my first jobs were in social services, which meant I received lower pay then some of my peers. Many of those agencies were funded by government grants, mental health boards, and the United Way. The expectation was that employees were to give generously to the annual United Way campaign. My internal debate focused on questions Such as, “Is the tithe based on gross or net income?” or, “Does giving to secular 501c3 agencies count towards the tithe?”

My dad often spoke of sacrificial giving and speculated that maybe the ten percent tithe was not sacrificial enough for some. Each person needed to determine what the sacrifice might be.

While reading reflections on doing good in Oswald Chambers’ book, “My Utmost for His Highest,” I asked myself “Why are we doing good? And for whom are we doing good?”

The challenge is to love others as God has loved us. God loves us in spite of our perceived strengths and regardless of our faults. President Jimmy Carter once reflected that we cannot hide our flaws from God – God already knows.

When giving becomes a habit, are we giving generously? Do we give without worry about how our donation will be used?

When we pay attention to the Spirit of God, we can be surprised at what God says to us about our behaviors and attitudes. We may want to boast at our level of charitable giving. We might feel smug that we give. But in the end, God will judge by our heart and motivation. We need to measure what we give and do through God’s word.

When we extend charity, how will we be judged? While we want to think of our God as a loving and merciful being, is our perception the same as God’s perception of us?