When you make a donation to a ministry, what do you expect in return? Personal benefit? A tax deduction? Benefit to God’s Kingdom? What do you expect from your church? Is it something more or less? What should we expect when we invest in the Kingdom?
Most of us, when we are considering an investment opportunity, ask a bunch of questions before we hand over our money. For example, when considering a stock or mutual fund, we look at the track record over the last one to ten years, looking for what the long term growth an investment would make, how well the fund or stock manages itself in good times and in bad, and so on. Why? Because we want to maximize our earning potential and thus spending potential in the future. And the money we earn is for our time spent in this world.
When you give your money to a ministry or to your church, do you ask the same questions? Specifically, do you ask how well the ministry is operating so as to be a benefit to the Kingdom? Do they spend their money wisely so as to maximize the power of your dollar for God’s purpose? How effective is the ministry in parlaying your money for the growth of God’s work in this world?
I suspect that most of us don’t spend too much time thinking about these questions. It may be because all that we are concerned with is the tax deduction we receive at the end of the year. And so, if you are giving to a ministry, you have to ask yourself: what are your motives for doing so?
We are called as Christians to not be enamored with this world but be looking forward into eternity with our Lord. We are not to be storing up treasures in this world but be storing up treasures in heaven. We should be thinking about how to effectively grow God’s Kingdom while we are in this world. Our heart and mind needs to be focused on such things.
Now I have to admit that I was in that first camp where all I thought about was the tax deduction. My focus was only on this world. And don’t get me wrong, I believe that God has guided government to offer such tax incentives to us so as to benefit many kinds of charities. And if God is behind such incentives, why wouldn’t we strive to take advantage of them? But we really have to ask the motive question behind our giving.
When I coach my team on asking questions to uncover sales opportunities, I have to be very clear on the company’s intentions behind asking such questions. And so it is with your giving to Christian charities, what is your intention behind your giving to that charity? Is the charity effective in delivering results for the Kingdom that are aligned with your heart?
Some years ago I read a book called the Wealth Conundrum. In the book, the author walks you through his struggle with wealth. What struck me was that I had never asked myself the questions he was asking of himself during his struggle. I highly recommend this book to all those wrestling with how to donate your resources to a ministry.
I have had my attitude changed by reading this book – and it was for the better. To see how life changing an attitude of giving can be, check out Tom Monaghan’s story, founder of Domino’s pizza, (and others) at Generous Giving. Everyone can make a difference for the Kingdom, no matter how little you give. If invested wisely, every penny will count.
One last thought: If you truly believe that a ministry has the ability to achieve great things for the Kingdom but seems to be struggling, it might not be due to just financial resources. It may be that they are strapped for people willing to serve with their time in the ministry. So, please consider not just giving out of your financial resources but also out of your time as well. For example, Women of Faith and Promise Keepers need and use volunteers for every one of their conferences as much as they can use your financial support.
