Where Should Christians Give

If you asked ten Christians, "Where should I give my financial gifts?" Almost all would tell you, "Give first to your local church."

But after that you're likely to get ten different answers depending on each person's passion and giving history.

Older Christians tend to lean heavily toward missions, Bible translation, large capital projects and Christian education while younger Christians generally favor clean water and social justice ministries. And if you look only to the New Testament for direction, followers of Jesus in the early church gave almost exclusively to care for the poor, to pay pastors, or elders who devoted most of their time to teaching and to support Paul, the Apostles and other evangelists and missionaries to carry on their work. Even Jesus had people support him financially. (Luke 8:1-3)

Obviously there's no mention anywhere of Christian camps, schools, universities, Christian radio, TV, videos, or even of church buildings for that matter. First century Christians didn't even begin building church structures until the second century. However, if we claim to be Bible-believing Christians is there some kind of test we ought to consider regarding our giving decisions that might help us give first priority to the core ministries described in the Bible? I believe there is.

Before we get to that test it may be helpful to understand why thoughtful, biblical Christians can disagree on their answers to these important questions. One reason is what theologians refer to as an argument from silence, which can cut both ways, meaning some Christians believe if the Holy Spirit never instructed the New Testament writers to command Christians to use their gifts for anything other than for the poor, wages for pastors and expenses for missionaries, we have no right to do so. The counter-argument of course is if the Bible doesn't prohibit giving for other types of ministries, then Christians have the freedom to give to almost any ministry that honors God, promotes the gospel, or Christ-centered living. Most Christians today ascribe to the latter argument. However, does the Bible really give us that much freedom?

I cannot make an ironclad case for what I'm about to tell you and the Holy Spirit may guide some believers in completely different directions. However, based on what I understand about the heart of God in the Old Testament, the teachings of Jesus and the actual practices in New Testament church, I believe there are "biblical priorities" for the stewardship of our finances. While I would not equally weight each of the three groups below I believe there is more than enough biblical evidence to make the case for why these three should make up the majority of each Christian's annual giving.

1. Your local church and missions: God required the Israelites to provide whatever was needed for the building of both the Tabernacle and the Temple, to support the Levites and the priesthood and the people brought their tithes to the Temple. Then in the New Testament Jesus himself participated in synagogue worship and paid the Temple tax. After Pentecost the first believers brought their gifts to the Apostles and later to the first deacons who used them primarily to care for the poor to make sure no one had too little. (Acts 2:44-45, 6:1) Then Paul in many of his letters urged believers to provide for the elders (pastors) who served full-time and for the poor in every church. (I Tim. 5:17-18, I Cor. 9:14) Furthermore, in obedience to The Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20) these new churches, or groups of churches in a city, or region provided travel and support funds for Paul and other evangelists. (2 Cor. 11:7-9) I interpret this to mean we have an obligation to support the work of the church we attend, but also ministries doing evangelism, missions, church planting and Bible translation, especially in countries, or people groups with little access to the gospel.

2. The poor inside and outside your local church: In both the New and Old Testament, believers were constantly commanded to care for the poor and not wait for the priests or the church to do it. Paul put it this way, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people. Especially those who belong to the family of believers." (Meaning fellow Christians.) Gal. 6:10. Jesus commanded us to care for the least of these regardless of how they got poor, sick, hungry, or jailed. From the story of the Good Samaritan to Jesus' promise to reward anyone for giving even a "cup of cold water in my name," Jesus and almost every New Testament writer both commanded and encouraged us to care for the poor and the poor in spirit, meaning the lonely, helpless and powerless, in and outside of the faith. And the early Church did. I take this to mean Christians are obligated to seek out the poor in their own communities as well as support Christ-centered hospitals, clean water projects, homeless and micro-finance ministries and orphanages in poor communities and countries. Hopefully your own church is generously caring for its members who struggle financially.

3. The poor in your own family: "Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." I Tim. 5:8 This does not mean you have an unconditional obligation to support everyone in your extended family, because Paul also wrote, "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat." (2 Thes. 3:10b) In my experience this kind of giving is often the least joyful and can get messy, but we are still commanded to do it. It would take another whole book to address your 30 year old son with an art major who's still living at home, an irresponsible sister, or your cousin Larry who's been in and out of rehab who can't or won't support his own family. You may also have a nephew with a family who has been out of work for six months because his employer moved to Mexico and through no fault of his own is about to lose his house. You might have a gifted, hardworking niece who cannot afford college, or has college debt that has buried her. These teachings appear to be telling us if we have the financial means we might have to look past some of their poor choices and care for their family's basic needs of food, shelter, debt and medical care. I believe we shouldn't add to their indignity by waiting for them to ask you for help, or expecting their church to help. If you suspect they might have a problem call them. The Bible says they are your responsibility.

If you generally agree that biblically these three areas should be of first importance then here are my thoughts; I believe we'd be safer to think of God's priorities for where we should give the vast majority of his resources more like a target. The bulls-eye being those I described above as biblical priorities with all other ministries in concentric rings of importance for which each Christian should pray for Holy Spirit guidance. The more you study the Bible, pray and seek good, godly counsel the better each of us will become at discerning the heart of God — "the bulls-eye" and therefore where he might want the vast majority of the funds entrusted to you given. If you generally agree with me here's where the decisions get harder and more personal for supporting other ministries.

Knowing that thousands of children are dying every day from starvation, or preventable diseases, do you think God would expect us to give priority to them, or donate for a new auditorium, or van at our grandchild's Christian school, or a camp they attend?

There are hundreds of millions of people who've never heard of Jesus. If Jesus was writing donation checks out of your account, where do you think he would want those checks going? For Bible translation, missions, a hospital in a poor nation, or to underwrite a building, or program at your denomination's seminary?

Lest you think I'm being cynical, all my questions are an attempt to drive home this idea; if it all belongs to God then you and I as his trustees are required to ask completely different questions than other Christians appear to be asking about where and how God wants us to give. Here's an example; If you had a money manager who had the added responsibility of donating significant amounts of your income, or your net worth to ministries, you'd expect them to spend lots of time with you to discern the kinds of ministries closest to your heart. The kinds of ministries your money manager likes, or doesn't like, or those to which their friends have invited them to fundraising banquets should play no part in their decisions because it's your money that's being donated, not theirs!

I hear Christians say all the time, "We like to give to..." then finish that sentence any way you can imagine. When they say that, perhaps it's because they have prayed deeply and have been led by God to give generously to certain organizations. On the other hand I suspect a good number of Christians have simply observed how their parents, or other Christians have given and being creatures of habit, or wanting to fit in and also to be generous they often do what others have done.

How can we do better?

Most ministries and businesses have a Mission Statement. It helps them stay focused on what they do best and not go off mission. I believe every Christian family with wealth should be just as purposeful. I could not imagine Susan and I being responsible donors without one. Here’s a link to a blog I wrote with a sample; (Ezra)

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is..." Romans 12:1.