October 20, 2009
October 20, 2009
Below is a Georgene Rice KPDQ-FM interview with Chris McDaniel author of Dying to Give, moving from the idea of generosity to personal application.
Chris McDaniel: I think money has become such a taboo topic over the years because of scandal and because of those who raise their voices loud enough. Church leaders have turned away from this subject because they are fearful about it. We are willing to talk about other spiritual disciplines, willing to challenge and push each other in prayer, but because we are not talking about it no growth is happening. What I am talking about is not what we give or how much we give. Pride is warned directly in the Scriptures. The heart of what I am saying is that we need to grow. Through that we see God release more resources through His people.
Georgene: It is difficult for many of us in our consumer society to equate giving and generosity to joy and contentment. We want to give but not to the point that we have to sacrifice.
Chris McDaniel: Yet, when we come to that place of sacrifice God always shows up in ways that you have never seen Him before. It is fundamental to Christian law to give. Dying to Give as a resource ignites a connection between you and the Lord through journaling your conversations with the Lord through this process.
Georgene: When you look back at those markers you see how your have grown, like in the Introduction of your book when you had us remember when we were children how we gauged our growth through the marks on the wall.
Georgene: This book has 27 devotionals. How do you hope your readers will use this volume?
Chris McDaniel: Even though they are short devotionals, I hope they will take time with it. Often times we get distracted about giving. We can think it’s about manipulation or building Kingdoms. But, giving is about us and our personal transformation when we take part in it. It’s not just about money. It’s speaks to their time, their talents, and their treasures.
Georgene: The book is divided into four sections. You begin with Biblical foundations of giving.
Chris McDaniel: No structure will last without a good foundation and these devotionals reflect on the core foundational principles in the Scriptures that will help us build a lasting foundation. Through that we progress into the transformation of our very selves, which is Part 2, giving in your character. Giving is the character of Christ. It requires a lot of faith to be a generous person.
Georgene: Many of us don’t put those two together, giving and our character. That of course raises the obvious question. We are in a deep recession. A lot of people may be thinking they have been generous in the past and will in the future, but now is really a bad time. I need keep what I have close to the vest. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Are there seasons when we need to choose not to give?
Chris McDaniel: Obviously to give you must have income, but to give because of scarcity is not a reason not to give. You can give proportionately even in a down economy. Sometimes we overlook other assets that are sitting stagnant. The third part of the book gives practical tips on what we do with our assets and gives introductory tips on budgeting and proportional giving.
The last section of the book in Dying to Give compels us to move forward and not let scandals or circumstances cause us to miss out on the secret that God wants for us.
– Chris McDaniel is the Director of Development for Delta International. Has an MBA from Liberty University. He lives with his family in Camas, Washington.
Print This Post
Email This Post
It is amazing that when giving comes first, the rest of your money seems to go farther.
I remember my mom telling me that when we were just small kids, my dad’s company was out on strike and money was tight, she was asked, in all kindness and concern, if she could afford to tythe. Her response was “can I afford not to?”
If one defines giving as allocating a portion of one’s income to support a well-educated, able-bodied “pastor” and staff who are very capable of making their own way in the world, I can see where there could be a hard sell -especially among those of us who see the Apostle Paul’s method of feeding the sheep AND paying his own way through tentmaking as a superior leadership model.
On the other hand I have seen believers become very unified in their generousity with money and, more importantly, time when providing for the disadvantaged, underprivileged or otherwise down and out individuals or groups. The internal rewards seem to be more substantial than those resulting from simply adding to the salary of a church staff or a building fund which is, essentially, a way of blessing ourselves.
I first learnt the lesson of giving when my church was having a building project. I had just finished school and onto my first job. I had saved S$400 that was the biggest amount I had ever saved. The Lord told me to empty my account. I did. I learnt that giving is obedience to God’s leading. I learn and am still learning that we can never outgive God. Giving is recognizing that all we have is God’s: we are just his managers. I do grow in my faith and Christian character when I learn to give generously… afterall God is EXTREMELY generous with us- He gave us HIS BEST, HIS ONE AND ONLY SON… Money is part of giving… the giving of ourselves at God’s disposal is the most challenging and gratifying thing to experience. I remember that good old hymn… GIVE
OF YOUR BEST TO THE MASTER GIVE OF THE STRENGTH OF YOUR YOUTH …GIVE HIM YOUR LOYAL DEVOTION….GIVE HIM THE BEST THAT YOU HAVE.
I can’t even find this hymn in the Revival Hymns and Choruses no wonder we missed out on the joy in giving and strength from giving 
:):)
In the New Testament, Jesus and Paul talked very bluntly about money issues. Yet in the riches nations on earth, we tiptoe around the topic. Those who are learning to give generously, even sacrificially, need to be willing to talk about it and to mentor and challenge others to do the same. I believe have passed the time in America when we could suppport needed ministry solely from our “overflow.” Christians must be taught that we put eternal values first and give even at “sacrifice,” although that sacrifice looks embarrassing small when compared to the lifestyle standards of most Christians around the world.
On the subject of giving–especially in the midst of the current recession–these words by Oswald Chambers are particularly relevant. “No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity, because it removes God from the throne of our lives, replacing Him with our own self-interests. It causes us to open our mouths only to complain, and we simply become spiritual sponges–always absorbing, never giving, and never being satisfied. And there is nothing lovely or generous about our lives.
Before God becomes satisfied with us, He will take everything of our so-called wealth, until we learn that He is our Source; as the pslamist said, ‘All my springs are in You (Ps 87:7). ‘God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you…may have an abundance…’ (2 Cor. 9:8)–then learn to lavish the grace of God on others, generously giving of yourself. Be marked and identified with God’s nature, and His blessing will flow through you at all times.”
When it comes to giving, I’m always reminded of the incident found at Mark 13:41-44 regarding the widow’s mite. Jesus’ words in verses 43-44 says, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treaury; for they put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her proverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”
I think there is an important lesson to take away from this account. While this woman probably never knew she was being observed by Jesus or what He said to the Apostles regarding her actions, she just went away satisfied in doing what her heart told her to do. Jesus, however, understood more than her behavior; He understoond her circumstances and her MOTIVE in giving. That’s the key! God understands our motive in giving regarless of what those receiving it does with the amount. (They are accountable for their motives.) We need to remember our generosity, or lack thereof, is between us and the Lord. We will get tell Him about our attitude regarding this matter some day. But like the widow, we may never realize the bigger picuture this side of eternity.
Dying to Give helps us understand how we can deal with our personal convictions regarding giving and why God will bless our motives, and lives, through faithful GIVING to HIM.
When I give it is purely an act of faith and responsibilty. It seems more difficult to do when I’m doing it based on how I feel or even what my circumstances are. I don’t believe we should give based on anything about ourselves: it’s about Him. I certainly don’t pray enough about it. My point is that maybe that’s what makes it difficult people, and what stands in the way of more people giving. It shouldn’t matter that we’re in a wealthy country. If I was a poor person living in a poor country, should I be able to give less? I’ll answer that for you: No. Of course we are all on board with proportionalty…that’s why tithe is a percentage.
Who’s teaching our kids to give? Do we have enough room to open up that conversation? When we talk to our kids about career choices they’re making, are they asked what they’ll buy with their money or are they asked how are they best going to give? I really think that’s the only way to turn the thought process around, starting with our kids, at home. The church needs to educate, equip, and encourage it’s congregation to begin the conversation!
Thanks to Chris McDaniel and his book for starting THIS conversation! Keep it up!
Thank you for your insights, Chris. As a pastor, I understand the sensitive nature of our finances. However, it is an important part of discipleship and one that needs to be addressed. Probably the biggest reason it is not talked about much is because it deals with issues of our heart, our priorities, our affections.
In my experience seeing a pastor first hand in his ministry spend countless hours visiting, studying, loving and providing spiritual guidance to his flock, I don’t quite know how bi vocational leaders pull it off. This discussion isn’t about supporting pastors I realize but by and large, most ministries do what they do well and within a very restrictive resource pool. Having said all that, those of us that depend on the giving of others to do what we do, know that it is only as God is allowed to move in someone’s life will they decide to give, and it is only the amount of faith I have that God will provide that keeps me doing what I do.
Great discussion. The only thing we have, that God wants, is our faith. When we give out of faith, whether tithe or offering, it pleases God. When we decide to trust Him to provide for us, it pleases Him. So whether I give by faith or am supported by others who give, it is my faith that God sees. Our faith is a far greater resource than dollars could ever be. So I choose to increase my faith by giving and trusting Him to provide. I gladly trade the resources of this world for the resources of heaven, by which kingdoms have been conquered…Hebrews 11 and 12 encourages us to give far more than money. Nothing can compare to the Kingdom in store for us who believe.
Great discussion on a relevant issue. In our corporate-driven, consumer Christian culture it is difficult to keep the financial issue vertically focused, steward centered and God’s purpose(missionally) driven. Chris, thanks for your helping us refocus.
I have learned as a pastor that when I preach on giving there are two reactions. Some chafe and suggest that I am dwelling too long on the topic. Others are encouraging and thank me for boldly declaring what the Word teaches. Over the years I have learned that there is a direct correlation between the former who give meagerly and the later who give generously. Never have I had a generous giver be uncomfortable with a message on giving. Sooooo, why listen to the critics. Preach it, I say! Thanks, Chris, for giving the church a valuable tool in this area.
I’ve had the privilege of jointly leading a workshop with Christ and to hear his on this matter.
In my own work as a stewardship educator I’ve learned that the ability to speak openly about money, whether given, shared, saved, spent or wasted, is in direct connection to a person’s continuing transformation into the heart of Christ and a servant of the gospel.
Church leaders, in particular, are models of this transformation–or lack of it. Either way they teach.
Tithing is a milestone in our growth as a Christian. It’s a mark of maturity. It’s also one of the hardest disciplines to develop because it’s such a tangible step of faith. Yet, it’s one of the simplist ways to multiply our ministry – by supporting the ministries of others.
But, it’s said that time is money too. So, we need to tithe our time along with our finances. We need to highlight Scriptures that point out the necessity to serve with a willing heart. If the whole church tithed their time and money we really would turn the world upside down!
Chris is right on. Giving is not about the recipient; it is about the giver. If we want the Lord’s blessings, we need to follow His principles. Chris cares more about the giver growing in his or her realtionship with the Lord. When that happens and the giving is secondary, it is amazing how it willingly is multiplied. It is one of those spiritual principles that doesn’t seem to make sense except for the fact that it works.
I saw a diagram in a class a couple of weeks ago about the way that cultures and people are structured. It is kind of like an onion with layers that have behaviors on the outside and works down through values, beliefs, and worldview. At the very center, though, was “ultimate allegiance.” To me, that was profound. Where is our ultimate allegiance? For me, it had a way of explaining why some people at our church still do things I don’t understand. While they are believers, their ultimate allegiance is to something less than Christ. Getting to the point where our ultimate allegiance is to Christ instead of the world is not an easy task! But when we do, I think we will see the kind of transformation that Steve refers to above, where we are giving of our money and our time. As I ponder this, I think that this transformation will happen in a way that we don’t even think of what we are doing as “giving” (because this implies we are keeping some for ourselves) but simply living the mission that Jesus placed in our hearts.
Thank you Chris for this much needed resource.
When it comes to giving, Jesus’ words recorded in Mathew 6:24 (No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money) I believe are the critical issue as to whether we give or not. Most of us hold what we own very close, not willing to give, because we love our stuff too much. Christ’s words give the reason for this. We are too attached to our stuff, and not attached sufficiently to our relationship with God.
I find that when I give, I lose my hold on my stuff and gain a standing with God that allows Him to use me in ways that would not be possible otherwise. I also lose the fear and worry about money that I see so prevalent in our world. When I give God my stuff, I find I am never in need.
The Scriptures make it clear that none of my stuff will join me in paradise; only my relationship with Christ and my fellow Christian brothers/sisters will matter at that time. Thus it is foolish to try and keep my stuff for myself and not give it freely to Christ to further His causes. I want Jesus to find me faithful when I enter His Kingdom, and I want my treasure to be stored there waiting for me when I arrive (Matthew 6:19-20).
In my opinion money are easy to be made. You only have to consult with an ez saver program for example. At least this is what I did.
Copyright © 2010, OregonReport. All Rights Reserved. | Terms of Use - Copyright - Legal Policy | Contact Oregon Report
Fearing to speak about money in order to retain current donations does not help a congregation.