Is it so far out there to believe that all Christians are familiar with the idea of tithing or at least charitable giving? While we might disagree with one another on a biblical requirement to tithe, there is a general agreement that in tithing, Christians give 10% of what God has given them back to him as a sign of obedient faith and to aid in God’s work of building his kingdom. And in charitable giving, we meet the needs of others, sometimes meeting abundant need with abundant grace.
Perhaps too often, this idea of giving is relegated to money. We add ten bucks to the offering plate. We write a check at the end of the year. We take a little bit of our hard-earned money and buy a meal for a homeless guy we see every once in a while as we drive around town.
But what if our participation in God’s kingdom—his will and his ways—is meant to be more than that? What if everything we have been given by God is intended to be, in part, given away? In my book What’s Next: Talking with God About the Rest of Your Life, I ask the question, “Why did God create humanity?” It is a good question; it comes right before “Why did God create me? And what am I going to do about it?” Most of us, feeling the angst of relationships and health and money and purpose, are really good at thinking about ourselves, our needs, and our well-being. But I want to challenge the egocentric part of us and ask, “Why did God create others? And what am I going to do about it?” This is a real question, one that we should all seek to answer. To help my readers with this type of question, I included numerous exercises in my book to create opportunities for conversations with God, reflection, and discovery. Here is one of those exercises:
God is a cheerful giver and “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). One of the reasons he gives is so we too can give, both back to him and to others. But it is not just about money. Money is not the only master in our lives. What are you willing to give up 10% of?
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- Two hours and twenty-four minutes each day in prayer?
- 10% of your house to your son’s friend who needs a home?
- 10% of your retirement account in penalties to give to your church?
- 10% of your social status in likes and followers because of your public expression of faith in Jesus?
- 10% of your friends because you won’t join the gossip?
The Bible is a book about loving relationships: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit; Adam and Eve; Abraham and his son Isaac; Jesus and his disciples. It is also a love story between Jesus and his bride—the church.
Living in a relationship with others can be hard, and the Bible is full of those stories as well. Perhaps that is why there are so many teachings on how we should work hard at being like Jesus, living with and loving others, and keep ourselves being consumed by our own lives, finances, health, work, and myriad other problems. There are nearly 100 verses in the New Testament that encourage us, nay, command us to “one another” each other. Some of them will be familiar to you: “Be at peace with one another” (Mark 9:50); “Be devoted to one another in love” (Romans 12:10); “Serve on another” (Galatians 5:13); “Pray for one another” (James 5:16).
You see, the Bible is not all about you; it is all about God. Jesus’ life was not all about you; it was all about loving his Father in heaven. The work of the Holy Spirit is not all about you; it is about preparing Jesus’ bride—the church—for our wedding day. And, not surprisingly, your life is not all about you. Then what is life all about?
Following the exercise in my book, I included these words to the reader:
The rich young ruler was told to sell everything he had and give it to the poor (Luke 18:18-30). Why? Because Jesus understands our hearts are prone to wander and are enticed by all sorts of idols. For this man, his idol was his material wealth, and Jesus did not want to be added to the man’s collection of good things—Jesus wanted to be the man’s only thing! Jesus wants you to want him to be your only thing, too. We can only serve one master!
You and I only have one master—God, and he told us how we should live. When Jesus was asked by the Pharisees to pronounce the greatest commandment in the Law, “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40).
Love God. Love your neighbor. Love God with everything you have! Loving God and your neighbor is what the whole Bible story has always been all about! If you find yourself asking, “Why did God create me?” keep going and ask, “Why did God create others? And what am I going to do about it?” When you do, I trust that God will give you the same answer he has given every person who has ever asked the question: “It is not about you; it is about us; now go love your neighbor.”
