I was listening to the radio (yes, I still listen to the radio) and reading through emails and saw and heard a whole gaggle of opportunities to give to charities, ministries, and causes. I heard the phrase “season of giving” more than once. It triggered the thought that I’ve heard this phrase often in November and December of past years.
Now I understand the point. We celebrate Thanksgiving and give gifts at Christmas. It is the end of the fiscal year for many organizations, and they are trying to meet budget. It makes sense that there would be a push for giving at this time of year. And yet…it also makes me sad.
The Sage in the book of Proverbs has a fair amount to say about giving (here are a few samples):
Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,
but he who is generous to the needy honors him. (14:31)
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will repay him for his deed. (19:17)
Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed,
for he shares his bread with the poor. (22:9)
This is recorded in a book of wisdom. The key implication of this is that generosity is a practice of wisdom.
Paul tells us that God loves a “cheerful” giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). The context tells us that cheerful is the attitude of the giver, in contrast to being compelled – by guilty, by duty, by fear. The prior verse, however, tells us that God rewards generous givers. This aligns with other teaching in both the Old and New Testament. If we are reading our Bibles regularly this is no surprise.
What surprises me (and makes me sad) is that the idea of a “season of giving” is so common in ministry circles. There should be no season of giving for Christians – it’s all a season of giving. God has been extraordinarily generous to us in Christ, and Jesus promises that God will provide for His followers. To be sure, need will always outpace our ability to meet it. Nevertheless, I wonder how much difference the Church would make if the Church (that means you and me) lived into real generosity all the time, not just in the “season of giving.”
Pursue Christ – He is enough,
Pastor Jeff