Why We Don't Give Joyfully to the Church
Why is giving to the Lord not a more joyful experience?
Here are four possible reasons:
Giving is often associated with a crisis.
When do we hear the most about money in the church? When the treasurer is having trouble paying the
bills. Often at such times the message of the church is heavy law with a sprinkling of gospel. By intent
or by circumstance guilt is aroused, and guilt feelings are far from joyful.
Sometimes the church can appear to be an ungrateful beggar.
For some reason those of us involved in the institutional church tend to operate on the premise that our
organizations are entitled to charity—like the beggar who stationed himself every day near the office of
a wealthy businessman. The beggar had received fifty cents a day from the businessman over a long
period of time. The businessman went out of town for a week. When he returned, he passed the beggar,
who said to him with a slight tone of reproach, "You owe me $2.50."
Not even the institution of the church is entitled to charity. Institutions must earn and attract investment.
Members may view their giving as paying bills.
Analyze year end giving. Some members give a large portion of their annual offerings in December
because until year's end they do not know what their annual income will be. Some have other reasons,
such as, waiting to hear how much the church needs to be able to end the year in the black. There is little
connection between such giving and the cross of Jesus. It is more in the order of paying a bill for
services received and there's no joy in paying bills.
Our consumer culture devalues our relationship with God
Society tells us"God is not worth it." Our consumer culture says, "I am worth it. Buy, borrow, trade, and get all
that you can." And from inside we hear, "You owe it to yourself. Go ahead and indulge."
Ronald D. Roth
[The author is the director of the Ministry of Planned Giving
of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.)
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