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"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6:19-21
Why should I give?
This is a question that every Christian must wrestle with as they exercise their faith. At the heart of it all, giving is an exercise of allegiance. Simply stated, "Do you put your money where your mouth is?" If you claim Jesus as Lord, then all of your life belongs to him, even your money. This means our participation in tithing is an act of worship. It communicates, "I trust God to provide for me and not this world." (1 John 2:15-17) When we do not tithe, we put our trust in the market, in the lottery, or in our worldly possessions (Luke 12:15), and in turn serve two masters. (Matthew 6:24) Therefore, we give as an act of worship, generosity, and care.
Worship: Out of God's love, he has given us everything. The food we eat, the air we breathe, and the means to purchase food are all gifts from God. In the Old Testament, we see that God commanded the Israelites to give a tithe (which translates to 10%) of all their goods (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:26; Deuteronomy 14:24; 2 Chronicles 31:5). But by the time Jesus comes to teach on money, he very quickly and heavily communicates that everything we have belongs to God and for his purpose. It is from this teaching that we see the people of God give abundantly in every place where there was a church. (2 Corinthians 8:3; Acts 2:42-45; Hewbrews 13:5)
Generosity: Giving is an act of generosity that models the generosity God has given us. (1 Chronicles 29:10-14) As a matter of fact, God has not only given us the things of this world but has given of himself. (John 3:16) Through his son Jesus, dying on the cross, all are offered salvation. Therefore, when we give abundantly, we are living in the name of Christ. We are living in the actual character of God. We give generously because we strive to be like our God, who is generous.
Care: We also give so that we might care for people in need. (Proverbs 19:17; Luke 12:33; Acts 20:35) As Christians, we are called to care for the poor or less fortunate among us. (Matthew 5:42; Matthew 19:21; Luke 14:12-14) This is why we have a benevolence fund and why we strive to help those in our midst to have their needs provided for.