Financial giving as a spiritual discipline

The cynic in me is not enamored with financial giving as a spiritual discipline. There has been a lot of talk lately within our church concerning this topic as we are looking to add on to the existing structure our church meets in and we need a lot of money to do it. It is funny because the same hymns/special music that are sung after a sermon on, for example, combating selfishness or lust seem to ring truer to me than those same hymns sung after a plea to be "rich toward God" financially. In my flesh I seem to equate those songs with a less-than-subtle attempt at manipulating me out of money that could go to other purposes - most of which have to do with me and my lifestyle.

God will have nothing in my life that robs Him of worship and that includes my money. Again, I don't see why this is so hard for me to equate the eradication of lust as somewhat more of a priority than sacrificially giving money towards a project or a cause that will help build the kingdom. Why do I have these feelings when it comes to money especially when Christ talks about it so much? Why do I see this as manipulation when I see the plea to die to myself as genuine in the highest degree?

This is a struggle for me and I know of no other cure than to do exactly what Christ demands of me: slay the God that money is to me at times through regular systematic giving to the local church, ministries that spread the Gospel, and through sacrificially giving to special projects that come up from time to time. There is no other Biblically-prescribed method for dealing with these feelings and this idolatry.

Most people that know me would be surprised that this is a thought pattern in my life. It surprises me, at times, as well.

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