But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
2 Corinthians 8:7
"...this grace of giving." What a refreshingly different way to think about giving away our money. What does 'grace' mean? It has several definitions, and I think each of them is one of God's purposes in the core practice:
grace, n. a charm or loveliness. Giving away our money is an act of beauty, both in the sight of God and to those who benefit from it. It is an elegance, something that makes the world look one shade brighter.
grace, n. a mercy or benefaction. Giving away our money is an expression of mercy to those in need. By giving away our money, we debunk the misguided notion that God helps those who help themselves. We know from personal experience that God helps those who can't help themselves. Therefore, we do the same.
grace, n. a prayer or blessing. One of the great privileges of following Christ is the ability He gives us to invoke God's presence and his blessing on the lives of other people. You may not walk around believing you have this ability, but you do have it and you should use it. When we give away our money, God enters the chain of events. Money, this thing the Bible calls "the root of all kinds of evil," can literally be a prayer in the hands of a Christ-follower, and God's answer to someone else's prayer. Give away your money and watch. You might receive some credit, but almost always the beneficiary will thank God. That's the point.
grace, n. unmerited favor; immunity from penalties. For many Americans, money is deeply embedded in our work ethic, which is a good thing in many respects, but can have a dark side. One of my father's favorite movies is an old western called "Shenandoah." In one poignant scene, Charlie Anderson, played by Jimmy Stewart, says 'grace' before a family meal:
Lord, we cleared this land. We plowed it, sowed it, and harvested it. We cooked the harvest. It wouldn't be here and we wouldn't be eating it if we hadn't done it all ourselves. We worked dog-bone hard for every crumb and morsel, but we thank you Lord just the same for the food we're about to eat, amen.
It's very easy for us to come to believe there is a 1:1 correlation between our work, our intelligence, our charm and abilities, and the amount of money and possessions we have. We did this. We built this empire brick by brick. This house, this bank account, these cars, these college funds, we worked dog-bone hard for every crumb and morsel...but God, thanks anyway. And if this formula holds true, why on earth would we give our money to some deadbeat who didn't work a day in his life?
Givers know two things: that money is part of God's unmerited favor; and that work is spiritual--it is about something far more significant than just making money. Giving money away affirms these very significant realities in our lives.
This core practice is connected to the following core beliefs: Stewardship, Compassion, Identity in Christ, Eternity.
Parenting this practice:
Just yesterday, on May 14, one of my sons gave me his first 2 items for the 2009 Christmas list. Total cost about $400. Giving Away Our Money is a vitally important core practice to teach our kids in a consumer-driven society.
If you give, make sure your kids see it and know about it. It can be very anonymous to write a check or, as some of you do at the Springs, have funds auto-debited from your account. You are not being humble if your kids don't know about it, you are missing an opportunity for them to learn a vital life lesson. Whenever it's possible for them to participate, encourage it and celebrate it.
Christmas is a great time teach this practice to our kids, not just because it's a season of giving, but because it's such a gaudy season of getting. Make plans as a family to give less to each other and more to people in need. You may develop a habit that carries all year long.
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