Born-again giving declines
As millions of Americans reflect upon this past year’s (2002) economy and the stock market’s roller-coaster ride and how that instability affected their income and available cash, a new survey conducted by the Barna Research Group shows that although most people can claim a deduction for charitable giving, relatively few people have proved to be substantial givers.

More than eight out of ten adults gave away money this past year. Although two-thirds donated to a church or religious center at least one time during the year, only slightly more than half of these adults gave money to a church at least once per month.

The median amount of money given to nonprofit organizations and churches by the typical adult was slightly more than $300.

The mean total giving dropped this year from a high of $1,377 in 1998 to $1,045 per adult, with churches receiving more than three-quarters of every donated dollar.

Although born-again Christians were more generous than most who professed identification with Christianity, less than 8 percent of born-again Christians tithed their income in 2002, and about one-third of all adults—and one out of every six born-again Christians—gave no money at all to a church or a religious organization.

Why give? —How to give
The main reason we should give to God is really for our own sakes. “Honor the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10).

In so doing we remember that He is the owner of all we have, and we are only managers. When we try keeping it all to ourselves, we reveal a serious problem in our perspective.

Based on the statistics collected by Barna, it appears that most born-again Christians in America have forgotten that God is the owner and that they are merely the stewards of His property that He has entrusted to them to manage.

When we view money and possessions as belonging to us, we inevitably begin to look at every other aspect of our lives the same way. Each of us sees himself or herself as the person in charge. We begin to think of God as our servant, existing solely to help us from time to time when we call Him.

That is why giving to God is so important. It reminds us who He is, who we are, and what our relationship should be to the things He has allowed us to manage in His name.

Giving must be done in love, with a thankful and willing heart, all the time recognizing God as the owner of everything. Haggai 2:8 says, “‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of hosts.”

God’s plan for giving consists of four progressive stages, with each building on the previous:

Tithing—A testimony to God’s ownership.

Obedience—This is sharing out of obedience or duty to God’s Word with gifts and contributions in order to help the obvious needs of others.

Abundance— To share from abundance out of love means, I have much, and I want to share with someone who needs much.

Sacrifice—To give sacrificially means yielding or foregoing individual wants to meet the needs of others. From God’s Word, sacrifice is assessed according to attitude, not the amount given.

So, not only does the first part belong to God, but the remaining part belongs to God as well.

He returns and multiplies to those who give freely and without thought for profiting. God is under no requirement to multiply our gifts. He does so because He loves us.

Conclusion
It is not the amount of money given that concerns God, because He owns it all; it’s how the money is being used that’s important. Second Corinthians 9:7 tells us, “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

As such, people need to pray about what God wants them to give; then give it regardless of what is happening in their other finances. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Believers should stretch their faith in the area of giving. If they think they can give 5 percent, they should try to give 10. If they think they can give 10 percent, they should try to give 15.

In Malachi 3:10-12, God said, “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land,’ says the Lord of hosts.”