Frequently Asked Questions About Money
5 Truths About Giving
Did you know God has a lot to say about giving in the Bible? Here’s 5 things He says about giving:
Matthew 6:1–4—He warns us not to give in a way that other people are seeing. Give secretly, not for the praises of men.
Store up your treasures in heaven. When you are giving, give toward things that have eternal value, not just earthly value.
God gives the example of the widow in Mark 12. She gives just two copper coins, yet she gave more than all of the rich people combined. Watch her example; give generously!
I also see in Luke 6:38 that your giving and your blessing are directly connected. Don’t give in order to get, but realize that if you’re not getting blessed by the Lord, it might be that you’re not giving generously toward the Lord.
Acts 20:35 says we are called to work hard in order to give because it is more blessed to give than to receive.
5 Warnings About Wanting to be Rich
Did you know that God has a lot of warnings about money and wealth? Here are 5 warnings from God that we should listen to:
Proverbs 20:3—Don’t work hard to get rich. If your goal in working and working hard is to get overtime/extra money/a raise, be careful. If your goal is to get rich and—not just provide for your needs—there’s a warning there.
Daily desire enough for your needs (Proverbs 30:8). Just enough—not more, not less—for your daily needs.
Hear the warning from King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 5: Ultimately riches will never satisfy you.
Malachi 3:8—There’s a warning that if you’re not giving to God, you’re actually stealing from Him.
Stealing a little bit ends up toward stealing a lot. That’s an example from Judas.
Amazing Truths from God About Money
One of the main things that God has to say about money is that it’s all His! God owns everything. Always remember that if you’re tempted to say “my money” or to think “my things.” Remember, it’s not your things; it’s not your money at all. Ultimately, it belongs to God, and we’re just taking care of it for a short time.
Remember that God makes it possible for you to have a job which enables you to make money. Deuteronomy 8:18 reminds us that God gives us that ability to gain wealth. Watch out for the temptation of entitlement; it’s a dangerous and deadly temptation. Put God first; honor the Lord with the firstfuits (Proverbs 3). Put Him first, give back to Him, and watch how He blesses you. If you put Him first with what He has given you, He will take good care of you.
Are offerings for missions biblical?
In the early church, it was common to take offerings for missions. They would not only have all things in common to take care of each other in their community, but Paul was regularly going around taking offerings—especially for the church in Jerusalem. See, when you became a Christian back in the early church, you often lost your heritage, your job, and your connection to your family; you became dependent on fellow believers. The next time the offering plate goes around or you make a church budget dedicating a large percentage toward missions, realize what you’re trying to do is to help the poor in Christ and other churches in Christ that need to get the work of the gospel done. So let’s be generous personally as we give to the church. Let’s be generous as churches that make budgets that prioritize missions and evangelism.
How much should you give?
So how much do you have to give? How often do you have to give? 1 Corinthians 8 and 2 Corinthians 16 give some of those answers. Basically, we should be giving regularly. Whenever you receive a paycheck, you should be saying, “First and foremost, I’m giving to God.” Instead of thinking about what the bare minimum to give is; rather, think about how generous you can be towards God. The examples in Scripture of people who are generous, even when they are extremely poor, give beyond their means. They give with a generous, thankful heart. So the next time you get the chance to give, look at it as an opportunity, not an obligation. Give with a cheerful spirit as much as you can, as often as you can.
Sad and happy examples of giving to God
God gives us two examples about giving in the book of Acts. In Acts 5, we see the example of Ananias and Sapphira who lie directly to a church leader, to Peter, ultimately lying to the Holy Spirit about their giving. They misrepresent their giving, and there is a warning there. If you’re trying to deceive people by making people think that you are more generous than you really are, you need to be really careful. Ananias and Sapphira dropped dead in church over that lie. Acts 10 is a happier story; it’s a story of a man named Cornelius who gave generously to God. God sends an angel to Cornelius and says, “Your giving has risen as a memorial that’s been pleasing to God.” Realize that if you are giving generously to God, it pleases Him; He enjoys it.
Should you give money to someone who asks?
Here are 3 Scriptures that might be helpful for you in determining whether you should give to others who ask?
2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” So if someone is not willing to get a job—and they have the ability to work but are simply unwilling to work—don’t equip their laziness. Don’t give toward that.
If you have a family member that depends on you—perhaps a child or a widow—and you have the ability to help them but simply don’t want to, you are denying your faith if you do not help them. 1 Timothy 5:8 is very clear in stating that we have an obligation to our families.
We also have an obligation toward our brothers and sisters in Christ. 1 John 3:17 says if we’re not willing to meet the needs of other Christian brothers and sisters, we need to question our own salvation.
What does God say about wealth?
1 Timothy 6 has a lot to teach us on how to handle wealth. 1 Timothy 6:6 tells us to be content. You brought nothing into this world, and you can’t take anything out. So be content. Verse 9 warns us about the desire to get rich; it is a temptation that can lead us into senseless, harmful desires, plunging people into ruin and destruction. There is a reminder in verse 10 that the love of money is the root of all evil. So be careful if you have the desire to be rich or really love money, be careful; it is a dangerous direction. And if you are rich—it’s not wrong to be rich!—don’t be proud or arrogant about it placing your hope in your riches but be as generous and humble as you can be.
Why are greedy people dangerous to your soul?
Did you know that God warns about the danger of us spending time with people who are greedy? In 1 Corinthians 5:11, God warns that if there is somebody in the church who is greedy or doesn’t have honest business practices, they shouldn’t be associated with. There is a danger with that kind of greed and deception that will contaminate the church and contaminate others. So if you know someone who claims the name of Christ but is guilty of greed, confront them in love in private. Go through the process of Matthew 18:10-20 with them, hoping their heart will change away from deceptive business practices and a greedy spirit.
Why your attitude of giving matters to God
Did you know that your attitude in giving matters more than the amount than you actually give? God says He wants you to give as you’ve decided in your heart—not reluctantly or under compulsion, not like you have to. God loves a cheerful giver! In Philippians 4:18, we are told that when we give, our gifts are described as a fragrant offering, a sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. So remember that when you are giving to God, you’re giving to Him what is already His, but He is giving you the opportunity to please Him! He loves a cheerful giver, and your gifts back to Him are pleasing to Him. So give with great joy the next time you give.