The Get to Give Manifesto: Why Having More is a Good Thing!

For those of you new to Free Money Finance, I post on The Bible and Money every Sunday. Here's why. This week we have a guest post from Jay Peroni.

Many people "give" to "get".  They choose to give money so they will be blessed.  This is backwards thinking and God sees through false intentions.  We as God's people should seek to "get" in order to "give".  Having a financial plan based on the proper intentions of your heart can allow you to pursue both God and wealth.  As long as He is your top priority and you are seeking wealth to be more generous, you can pursue Him and wealth.  It all begins with an assessment of your heart.

Your heart reveals who you are.  It reveals your desires, your motivation, and ultimately who you become. Matthew 6:21 says "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also".  So I ask you what is YOUR treasure and where is YOUR heart?  How do you view money and how important is money to you?

Now you may be like many and say money does not matter to you.  You may even say that money is the root of all evil or that it's hard for the rich to enter heaven so you do not pursue wealth.  It's not your thing... You may even think that your money struggles and challenges are your sacrifice for God.  Often many people falsely identify riches as evil because of the Rich Young Ruler in Matthew Chapter 19. 

When you break God's Word down and look at God's most basic interest in you, he wants to know the intentions of your heart.  Your heart reveals how you view money. Are you in love with God or money?   It is "the love of money" that is the root of all evil, not the money itself.  Money is neither good nor evil.  It can be used for both good and evil purposes.  Most people I have observed who say money is not important, act otherwise. The words speak, but the actions speak louder.

A person who struggles with money is often a slave to money.  Many who say money is not important focus and desire money more than those who have abundance.  This is because those struggling are often up to their eyeballs in debt, are less likely to be able to "afford" to tithe, and choose jobs rather than callings to "pay the bills".  In other words, they let money control their choices - what they can and cannot afford to buy, whether they can or cannot give and where they work.   

This can be as dangerous as the person "in love" with money.  It can have the same power over you.  The Rich Young Ruler needed to get rid of his riches because the riches were first in his life - above God.  If you place God above riches, there is no reason to view money as evil.  In fact, it can be used for His purposes.

If you instead choose to have power over money, you can use money as a tool to advance God's kingdom - support ministries, build churches, save lives and souls for God's glory.  How you think about money and your relationship with money reflects your true intentions.  How you earn money and what you do is what matters most.  A desire to be wealthy so you can be more generous is not wrong.  However, a desire to be wealthy so you can be self indulgent is wrong.

I wrote The Faith-Based Millionaire to help people "get" more so they could "give" more. The "Get to Give Manifesto" involves Seven Commitments:

1. Commit to tithing (10 percent of your income and financial gains) and commit to offerings (additional gifts above your tithe).
2. Commit to having a larger vision of how you can help advance God's kingdom - your specific calling and how God can use your time, talents, and treasure.
3. Commit to change your perspective of wealth - it is a tool that is used to do more of God's work.
4. As a Christ follower - Commit to take more risks! Stop being so cautious all the time; stop seeking safety! God wants you to lay it on the line.
5. Commit to increase your assets so you have more to give.
6. Commit to become better educated about your finances - choose sound investments that complement your faith.
7. Commit to seek wise counsel - a team of professionals that share your faith.

Poverty does not spread the Gospel, it spreads hopelessness and despair.  It costs money to fund ministries, build churches, print tracts, and feed bodies and souls.  You can win at the money game and experience financial freedom that will fully allow God to use your time, talents, and treasure!  Learn how to truly "master" your money rather than being "enslaved" by it.  This is a choice - which path will you choose?

Comments

Ahh yes, the "gospel of prosperity". It would really help if you actually had a theological background. It isn't that your advice and column on religion is bad, it's that you attempt to come across as having a proper religious and theological background.

[Terry]

One of Dave Ramsey's "must read" book recommendations is Thou Shall Prosper by Rabbi Daniel Lapin. I have not yet read the book in its entirety - it's out of print, hard to find, and due to its scarcity it is pricey by my standards - but I've been able to read parts of this book online and "get to give" seems very much in tune with that book.

[Mary@SimplyForties]

I may give to get but what I'm "getting" is that wonderful feeling that comes from doing a really good thing, with no expectation of anything in return. There is nothing better and I'll keep on giving to get that in return!

[LotharBot]

Anonymous: the "gospel of prosperity" claims that by following God, you'll be materially blessed -- that the reason you should give is that God will give back to you. This post (which, incidentally, wasn't written by FMF) has argued exactly the OPPOSITE! He hasn't said that you should give in order to become prosperous; he said that you should become prosperous in order to be better able to give.

Even that is a smaller point within the larger argument that you should treat wealth as a tool to use to serve God. Don't seek wealth for its own sake, for that is slavery -- but don't put yourself in debt, for that too is slavery. Put yourself in a position where you can best serve God -- which means, among other things, structuring your finances properly.

I don't 100% agree with the details in the OP, but I do agree with the overall philosophical point, and I think the anonymous critique totally missed it.

[Shawn]

You speak with practicality and common sense, and you're absolutely right in saying that money by itself is neutral. The lure of using money for self-indulgence often snaps those that have money away from their love of God, but it is absolutely possible to live a financially wealthy life that is non-egotistical, non-extravagant and is filled with love (and corresponding actions) for the Lord and His children. It takes much meditation on His principles and much praying to build such a spiritual foundation and I personally find it difficult from time to time.

[Heather]

GREAT post!
GET to GIVE not the other way around!!!
Good reminder.
Thank you,
Heather

[headknocker]

This information is spot on, for those that believe God is in control and everything belongs to Him (Psalm 24:1). Remember, John the Baptist was very faithful, but not financially "blessed". God guarantees that He will provide for our needs and that should be enough to help us be content with His other blessings on our life.