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3.31.12 Is He First?

     Imagine having a favorite restaraunt that you patronize every Sunday. You enjoy the food, the ambiance, the great service, the variety of choices on the menu, and the wait staff who serve you. Envision how the owner of the restaraunt would feel if you just left the restaraunt without paying for your bill week after week. Is your first reaction, “Who would do this?!” That sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Well, this scenario is not happening in restaraunts, but according to Barna’s research I shared in my last post, it is happening in places of worship across America. 

     According to Barna, thirty to fifty percent of active church attenders are patronizing their favorite house of worship, enjoying the fellowship, hearing the Word of God preached well, experiencing a loving atmosphere, appreciating the variety of ministries available to their families and the staff who serve them week after week.  You guessed it.  When the worship experience is over, they walk right out the door without giving anything financially. That’s disconcerting if these attenders are really believers. Barna’s research also reveals that this lack of giving is not exclusive to any one denomination. In fact, the lack of giving feels like an epidemic that has swept many churches across many denominations. How do these attenders justify not giving?               

     There are a multitude of hypotheses. Some attenders may not have a Christian upbringing. They weren’t taught God’s command to give a tenth to their local church. Some may feel their debt keeps them from giving. Others may rationalize they are giving their time and talents in ministry, so giving isn’t required, or optional. Some think their giving to outside organizations satisfies God’s requirement to give. Some may understand they should give ten percent to the local church, but fear or lack of faith in God to provide for the rest of their expenses keep them from giving. Regardless of their rationale, it doesn’t change the fact we have a gross deficiency of giving in the local church. Another fact remains. God feels robbed when we don’t give our tithes according to Malachi 3:8. The Lord accuses the Israelite nation of “turning away from his decrees and having not kept them.” Either we have a bunch of unbelievers who aren’t giving (in which case they’re excused because they don’t know any better), or we have a large swath of believers filling the pews who are either ignorant or ignoring God’s decree while not understanding the blessings of giving.                

     The Lord challenges the Israelites to bring their tithe into the storehouse (the local church). In Mal 3:10 He says, “Test me in this, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” His decree comes with a reward! But the flipside is also true. The Lord says in Mal 3:9 to the Israelites, “You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me.” In verse 11 you see what the curse looks like, unless they follow through and honor God with their tithe. It says, “I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit.” The Lord implies He will not bless their livelihood if they keep withholding the ten percent belonging to the Lord. When I read this passage, I wonder, “What do these attenders not get about the blessings of giving that await them if they would just do it?!” God is just waiting to  “pour out so much blessing that you won’t have room to contain them!”               

     This boggles my mind. Yes, I know this is a reflection of their spiritual condition. But the larger question is, “How do we help them respond to God’s command?” I have heard pastors preach wonderful sermons on the requirement of giving. They work hard to motivate and inspire giving without guilting people, but they still don’t see the change. In the meantime, half the congregation is attending without giving while enjoying the benefits of being connected to a local body of believers. I wish these attenders would connect there is an expectation to give because God has asked them to tithe.                

     Why did I spend so much time on the subject of honoring God with our tithes? There are two reasons. First, if the desire of our heart is to be a generous giver just like God, then our generosity has to start with God.  Give generously to God first, others second. What that means is give God a “thank you” note of 10% of your income wherever you’re actively attending before considering generosity toward others. He deserves that even if He had never asked for it! Everything I write to hopefully inspire a lifestyle of generous giving should never be construed to be in lieu of the tithe. Any living giving I describe should be above and beyond our minimum 10% “thank you” note to God. Thus, as I share my living giving vision, it needs to be understood that the blessings of God will be all over our giving as long as we are not robbing God His tithe.  I know without a doubt my life has been filled with many blessings because I have not short-changed God.                

     Second, I don’t want anyone left behind in becoming a generous giver. So if you don’t tithe, I am getting ready to be your top cheerleader! I will be writing a series of posts for the sole goal of helping you succeed in tithing and bring you on board. One fun way to begin is to start sharing our stories. I bet tithing believers reading this post share my desire to help you experience the blessings God is waiting to pour out on you if you would risk with Him!  

     By way of this post, I am calling upon tithers to help these attenders with your story. When did you begin to tithe, and how did you see God bless you when you obeyed Him?  Perhaps you used to be one of the attenders who struggled to give a tithe. What was your rationale at the time you weren’t giving? What helped you turn the corner to start tithing?  Did your spouse drag you into it, only to discover God’s blessings later? Did you feel a conviction to tithe? Have you ever regretted tithing? 

     I am inviting all tithing believers to pray about sharing your story of how tithing has blessed you. If you feel God is leading you to do so, you may leave a comment through the blog site or email me. Your story can be one sentence, or as long as you want it. Five minutes of your time to type up your story can change the life of attenders who are struggling to honor God with their tithe. It is my prayer that enough of you will share your story so I can publish a separate post of your testimonies. I will be glad to give you anonymity if you request it.  Our stories have power because God is right in the middle of them.  Let’s be an encourager.  May God bless you as you share your story to inspire those who need to take this very important step to be generous to God first, others second.  

Blessings,                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Lee Ann

3.22.12 My 2007 Resolution

            My New Year’s resolution for 2007 was a simple prayer: “Lord, help me to be a generous giver just like you.”  If you read my last post, I confessed that giving the tithe check each week lacked joy.  Please understand – I don’t regret writing God my “thank you” note.  I am grateful for everything He gives me.  What I do regret is that I let my heart get to a place that the tithe was a habit without the heart.  When I took my concern to the Lord the eve of 2007 and asked Him to help me find joy in giving, this prayer or “resolution” is what He gave me.  May I share why this prayer was so powerful to me?

            The major presupposition to this prayer is that God generously gives to us.  My mind started to flood with a variety of Scripture passages that demonstrate the generosity of God.  The very first thing that came to mind was John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”  God’s love for us was so great that He was willing to give up His only Son so that we could have a love relationship with Him for eternity.  That level of generosity is overwhelming!

            Another picture of His generosity is found in Acts 1:4-5, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.  For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is an expression of God’s generosity. 

           Those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ for our salvation have the promise found in Eph 1:13-14, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession.”  God generously gifts us with His Holy Spirt by sealing the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  The Holy Spirit gives us the power necessary to do God’s will in conformity with the purpose of His will (Eph 1:11). 

         Then there is God’s generosity in terms of abundance.  Check out how generous He is:

  • Whatever we can ask or imagine when we come to God in prayer, He does “immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine” according to Eph 3:20-21.
  • According to Eph 1:8, God has lavished us with His grace with all wisdom and understanding.
  • According to I John 3:1, great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
  • Numbers 14:18 says, “The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.”
  • He is generous with forgiveness.  We can ask as often as we need to, and He tells us in I John 1:9 that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  There is no quota!  He freely gives forgiveness upon the asking.
  • He tells us in James 1:5 that “if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding  fault.”
  • Rom 8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave Him up for us all– how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things.”  How much more generous can He get?!

        There is another underlying assumption in this prayer. I can be a generous giver just like God.  Is there a scriptural basis for such a desire? Absolutely.  I Tim 6:17-18 says, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. (Did you catch more generosity?) Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”  Please don’t get stuck on the word “rich” in this verse.  There are plenty of statistics that support we are the wealthiest nation on this Earth.  If your household brings in $40K/yr or more (it may even be a lower number than this), you are in the top two percent of the richest people in the world.  We live in such a materialistic culture that we have been fed the lie that we are only rich if we have a million dollars in the bank.  Nothing could be further from the truth. 

          Here are two more verses that support this desire.  2 Cor 8:7 says, “But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us –see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”  Look at 2 Cor 9:6 which says, “Whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”  It says in verse 11 of this same chapter, “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”  God wants to put us in a position that we can be generous on every occasion.  Isn’t that incredible?  Am I the only one excited about this?!

        This prayer is an integral part of my giving story.  It catalyzed change in my heart in 2007.  A heart that was once calloused is now softened.  My giving no longer feels like a habit without a heart.  A deepened gratitude toward God for all of His generosity toward me allows me to experience joy as I write my “thank you” notes.  I pray boldly asking God how I can do more to glorify Him and further His work through generous giving.  God is doing a serious and exciting work in my heart, and I will continue to unfold it.  The vision for living giving will be shared, but I need to lay more groundwork.  It is an exciting ride, and the Lord welcomes anyone who desires to “excel in the grace of giving.”  There is no patent on this prayer.  I can’t take credit for it because it came from Him.  This prayer is nurturing and growing my heart for giving, and it will do the same for you. 

Blessings,                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Lee Ann

3.16.12 Giving Had a Beginning

     There’s a difference between learning to give and desiring to give. Giving doesn’t happen overnight, nor does it happen naturally. When we are born, we have a default setting to possess things rather than to give.  As toddlers didn’t we all assume that whatever was in our possession was ours? Anyone who dared to take it out of our hands heard a boisterous, defiant “Mine!!” We start out with a bent toward selfishness, and our parents have the task of teaching us to share. Parents have the opportunity to shape the hearts of their children toward giving at a very early age, and my parents did that. Just grasping that something I had in my possession could be shared with someone else at age two was an accomplishment on their part! 

     I was blessed to be raised in a Christian home. My parents did a great job of teaching me the why behind giving. At one level I was taught the importance of giving because God commands us to give a tenth (tithe) of what He provides to us. But there was a much greater lesson in giving. It was about acknowledging that we have a perfect Father in heaven who takes care of us, and our tithe is our way to cultivate a heart of gratitude toward God. How did I learn to give a tenth? My “income” was an allowance received for doing chores. I know there are debates about paying a child to do chores since chores should be a shared responsibility among family members. However, my parents utilized allowances as a way to teach me how to handle money and to give it. I learned that the allowances I earned were NOT all mine. I was taught to bring ten percent out of the allowance and put it in the offering plate, and the rest was divided between saving and spending. Learning to give a tithe early helped me to acknowledge God as my provider. 

     By the time I was old enough to work summer jobs through high school and college, giving to the Lord was so ingrained that it felt unnatural not to give. Then I entered into the workforce. Being an Accounting major, I gravitated to serving on the Finance Committee at my church to help steward God’s resources and prepare budgets. The experience of serving on this committee was an eye-opener. First, I saw how paramount it is for all members to tithe to support the budget. Our giving not only supported our pastors, but missionaries who were sharing the gospel around the world. I observed dollars going to the poor. I could see that the church allocated God’s money to God’s work. Second, I saw the frustration of staff when giving was not what it should be. The church could do so much more ministry if every believer was obedient to God’s command to bring in the firstfruit of their income into His church (Malachi 3:8-10).  There is plenty of data on giving patterns in the church, and I understand why staff get discouraged. According to ­Barna Research done in 2001, between thirty to fifty percent of active church attenders give nothing. 

     How depressing. As I served on the Finance committee, I could sense a callousness developing in my heart. Giving a tithe to support the church budget was an expectation from God, and I was going to be faithful to Him. But I began to operate in automatic pilot. The tithe check started to feel perfunctory. In fact, I started calling my checks “thank you” notes to God to get my heart more involved. But I wanted my heart to be engaged with giving beyond the experience of dropping my “thank you” note in the offering plate as it went by. There was an absence of joy in giving that’s described in Scripture.  If Macedonian churches in 2 Cor 8:2 could experience “overflowing joy” while “giving generously out of extreme poverty”, then surely joy is just waiting to be experienced in generous giving regardless of my level of resources. There has to be more to giving than increasing my percentage of giving to the church. I decided to do something about that. 

     It was New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2006, and I remember wanting a New Year’s Resolution for 2007. As the clock ticked, I decided that my resolution was not going to take the form of a goal. We all know how that goes! I decided that my resolution would be in the form of a simple prayer that I would commit to pray regularly throughout the year. This was my resolution for 2007: “Lord, help me to be a generous giver just like you.” 

     This prayer began to change my heart and my life.  God began a new work in my heart.  My giving went from something I should do to something I desired to do. God ignited a desire in my heart to share His resources as often as possible. I immediately altered my Excel budget spreadsheet. My old version had only one line item for my “thank you” note to the church. A new line item was added entitled, “Those in Need.”  I started with a fixed dollar amount and prayed that God would reveal to me those in need.  In return I would respond immediately. Luke 6:30 says, “Give to everyone who asks.” I trusted God to reveal who needed the resources without me judging the person, and He did so. The joy of giving took off!  I would wake up each day having no idea who God would reveal to me to share His resources, and I couldn’t wait!  If I had any remaining dollars that were not given, they were rolled into the following budget cycle as an addition to the set amount I had established. In addition, if expenses I budgeted for didn’t happen or were lower than expected, I took the extra and rolled it into the “Those in Need” line item as well. That line item came alive and is alive today!  It’s the one line item in my budget that has the most spiritual energy and gives me the greatest joy. 

     I thank my parents who taught me to give at a very early age.  I learned to give to God as a discipline, and this foundation remains my springboard to accomplish His purposes through additional giving. I also thank God for hearing my heartfelt prayer in 2007 and answering it!  I continue to pray this prayer. By God’s grace, I now experience the joy of giving and have transitioned from learning to give to desiring to give.  

Blessings,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Lee Ann

3.1.12 Can I Talk About Giving?

      We have a saying in Christian circles that goes something like this: “As an army of God we are the worst about shooting our own men.”  My blog crockpot has been heating up a topic I have been holding back for two years out of fear that I will get “shot” by more believers in Christ than anyone else who would read this.  I am afraid of being accused of sharing my heart on giving for personal attention, or to rob God of His glory, or to gain people’s approval.  At one level I don’t care what other people think because God knows my heart.  I should prepare to tune out those who would try to judge my motives for writing on this topic.  At the same time I’m human.  I care about how I’m impacting others through this blog.  However, I question if I have the emotional energy to take care of any critics.  Thus, this unresolved tension has been a key reason I have not written on giving sooner.

     There is a biblical passage that has also contributed to my resistance to write on giving.  Matthew 6:1-4 says, “Be careful not to practice righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.  If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.  So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others.  Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”  Randy Alcorn, the author of Money, Possessions and Eternity,  states that “we should be sharing our testimonies about giving to help the body of Christ grow in the grace of giving.”  He rightly observes that the above passage has hindered many Christians from telling their story, but he points out that the operative phrase in this passage is “to be seen by them”.  He says, “This is not a prohibition against others becoming aware of our giving, prayers, fasting, etc.  Rather, it’s a command not to do these things in order to receive recognition from men.  The Lord has used Alcorn to free me to talk about giving –understanding that some members within the Christian army will criticize me without understanding my motive. 

            So what is my motive?  I want to share how God has grown my heart in the area of giving and the rewards He has shown me.  I want to share the joy in financial giving.  I want to share how God is faithful to His promises around giving.  I want to share what God has been laying on my heart around future plans to give.  I am passionate about the possibilities He is showing me, and I want you to know what they are!  I believe the Lord is prompting me to write on this because He wants more Christians to catch the vision I believe He is showing me.  In addition, we aren’t talking enough about giving beyond the tithe.  We have been told for so long to “keep it a secret” that messages on financial giving tend to be limited to tithes needed to support a church budget.  I have been active in church all of my life, and I don’t recall any pastor encouraging giving testimonies.  I think if people could hear some testimonies around giving that was beyond tithing, many would be inspired to give more.  The joy of giving is too contagious not to share!

     The Lord has also given me a paradigm of living giving that I desire to share with others, which I began in my last blog.  If you read my last post, “Inheritances vs Living Giving”, you will see this paradigm that leverages the power of compounding when money is given while time is on the side of the investor.  I want to give you more ideas to ponder as you think about changing your family’s financial tree, while giving to the poor, the oppressed, the underdeveloped countries, etc.  Why develop this?  I think we’re missing the boat.  I think our mentality of giving is more like giving the leftovers, when we can be intentional about giving in our younger years and watch God grow the dollars over time.  It’s not about how much money you can give.  It’s about God’s ability to multiply His resources when we do our part to grow it.  This is based on Matthew 25:14-30, commonly known as “The Parable of the Talents”. 

     The cliff note version of this is that God gives one servant five talents, another servant two talents, and a third servant one talent.  (Talents are a form of money.)  The master goes away for a long time, and when he returns he wants to settle accounts with each servant.  The servant who was given five talents put them to work and gained five more talents.  The Master commended him and entrusted more to the servant.  The second servant with two talents gained two more talents while the Master had been gone, and the Master was just as pleased with this servant because he doubled what he had.  In both cases, the Master described these two servants as “good and faithful servants”.  The third servant with one talent buried his, and the Master got angry and accused him of being lazy and suggested that he could have at least put the one talent in a bank to grow some interest.  The consequence was that the one talent was taken out of this unfaithful servant’s hand and given to the servant who had ten talents.  God expects us to utilize the financial resources He gives us and do the best we can to grow it.  If we don’t, He knows how to move the dollars to faithful servants who will put it to good use!

     I have a story to tell, and I suspect you do too.  It is my hope that as I unveil how God has blessed my giving and develop the living giving model, some of you will share your giving stories with me.  In the coming months expect to hear more about this topic.  In fact, please begin praying about how you might participate in sharing your stories around giving.

Blessings,

Lee Ann

2.1.12 Inheritances vs “Living Giving”

     If you had the power to change your family’s financial tree, would you do it?  I think you can, and I will show how with one example.  Let me start with sobering statistics from Beating the Midas Curse by Perry L. Cochell and Rodney C. Zeeb: “In families where new wealth has been created by the first generation, six out of ten of those families’ fortunes will be gone by the second generation.  By the end of the third generation, nine out of ten families will be broke.”  The conclusion was 90% of all traditional inheritance plans fail.  What’s going wrong?  According to these authors, we are putting valuables ahead of values. 

     Giving is a growing passion for me, not just because I assist clients with estate planning as a financial advisor, but as a Christian, I see missed opportunities to allow God to multiply the resources we have through our incomes for our families’ future generations.  If our paradigm of giving shifts from leaving an inheritance to “living giving,” which means taking advantage of   compound interest while time is on their side, God will have future generations of believers with amazing resources He could tap to further His work.  I was awakened to this vision eight years ago while teaching a course at my church called Financial Peace University, a program written by Dave Ramsey, a Christian financial counselor. 

     Ramsey gives the example of Ben, who invests $2,000 a year from the time he is nineteen years old to the time he is twenty-six, for a total of $16,000.  By age 65 he has earned 12% a year on his investment and has accumulated over $2.2 million!  My favorite line from Ramsey’s course: “What if I’m half wrong?!  Aren’t we happy?!” -By which he means, even if Ben had accumulated half that amount — $1.1 million that would still be an incredible accomplishment. In contrast, another investor, Arthur, contributed $2,000 a year from the time he was 27 until he was 65, or $78,000, but he didn’t make as much money as Ben.  He had $1.5 million at age 65 at the same rate of return. Take a look at the attached illustration at the end of this post, which demonstrates the power of compounding from an early age.

     A great tool to build wealth for kids for long term investing is a Roth IRA.  There are a few rules to follow regarding the Roth, but I want to show you the big picture for now.  The Roth allows you to make contributions that aren’t deductible for your tax return, while the earnings grow tax free.  Roths are available for anyone who earns income.  Does your child babysit?  Pet sit?  Mow lawns?  When a child earns money, contribute their earnings to their Roth as a gift.  By the way allowances for doing chores does not count as earned income per the IRS.  The income has to come from an outside source.  (You can Google Roth for Minors to see examples of what is and is not considered earned income.)  Can you imagine what you can accomplish through “living giving” while your kids and grandkids are young and earning income?

     Some of you might be thinking, “Lee Ann, it is not my job to build my kid’s retirement!”  I agree.  This is where a shift in thinking is critical.  You aren’t building their retirement, but rather a legacy that teaches them to use these dollars for the Lord.  You have to view this “living giving” plan as an opportunity to impart your legacy of values that allows your children to have the freedom to serve Christ with these resources.  You are putting them in a position to have more options to follow God’s leadership as they get older.  You are teaching them that our lives are not about us, but about God.  These resources are not about living on Easy Street, but finding ways to minister to those in need.  By implementing such a plan, you are teaching your kids that these resources are a blessing from God and meant to be used for His purposes.  Thus, your job is to TEACH your child how to manage and use these dollars to further the cause of Christ!  It is very clear in Scripture when God blesses us with wealth, He never intended us to hoard it.  His resources aren’t ours to keep, but His to give.  There are multiple passages warning us to beware of greed.  I am suggesting that you can shape the hearts of kids for giving and sharing God’s resources by teaching them God’s values about money, stewardship, giving to the poor, the oppressed, the underprivileged, the hungry, etc. 

     Here are a few ideas for training your children to handle God’s wealth.  Teach your kids how to budget.  Teach them the importance of writing “thank you” notes to God, which we call the tithe in the church setting.  (A tithe is 10% of the income God provides to us.)  Enroll them in the junior version of Financial Peace University.  Show them all the Scripture passages around the blessings of giving.  Pray for them daily and ask the Lord to transform your child’s heart to be a generous giver just like God.  Model giving while your kids are young.  Help them to make decisions around giving while they are young so they can experience the joy of giving.  Once they experience the joy of giving, they won’t look back.  They will desire to find ways to give.  As the custodian of the Roth IRA, you have the privilege to impart your Christian values as it relates to money and how it is to be used and shared liberally for God’s purposes. 

     This vision is ambitious, and there is the risk that your children won’t own your values for themselves.  What if a child gets to age 65 and sees this abundance and says, “I can just kick back, buy a vacation home, and travel the world” instead of getting involved in ministries and sharing the resources?  If this is your fear, introduce Luke 12:15-21 at an early age! God calls a rich man a “fool” and demands his life because “he stored up things for himself but wasn’t rich toward God.”  This parable can’t be ignored.  God is not pleased with hoarding.  Some kids may squander the dollars or not honor the values that you spent years to teach, but you will have peace knowing that you did everything possible to “train them up in the way they should go” (Prov 22:6).  God will honor you for giving your best to place His dollars into action by leveraging compounding and time in the market.  I would rather risk changing the family tree, rather than living out of fear that they will squander it.  God is bigger than we are, and He will work out His purposes if that situation materializes. 

     I see great opportunities with this “living giving” model.  Our legacy will be our values and how we utilize His generous resources, rather than how much we leave in the end.  Many kids earn income before age 19, which was the beginning age used in this illustration.  Imagine what could happen if we start funding Roths for kids who start earning income from ages 13-18.  Let’s transition to “living giving” so that what is left over at our death becomes secondary to the wealth we give while alive.  You may not be able to fund $2,000 a year, but anything is better than nothing.  God says it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35), and I believe God meant while we are alive.  It’s hard to enjoy the blessing of giving an inheritance six feet under.  Let’s do it!

Ben and Arthur Illustration from FPU

Blessings,

Lee Ann