A Guide for Lay Members (3 of 5)

The General Board of Discipleship (GBD) of the United Methodist Church recently published a guide for lay members on their website (www.gbod.org).  We are republishing this article and adding comments in preparation for Lent. So far we have discussed the Lay members' covenant commitment to 'pray' for the church, their covenant commitment to accept and exercise their responsibilities as the body of Christ with their 'presence' and today we are looking at the Lay members' covenant commitment to use their 'gifts' to support the body of Christ.

The General Board of Discipleship (GBD) of the United Methodist Church article "encourages us to use our spiritual gifts, our natural abilities, our material assets, our training and experience to uphold God's church. The writer believes Christians have opportunities each day to discover and develop their gifts, then a responsibility through this vow to full stewardship of their time, abilities, and finances. Christians therefore should:

• Maximize opportunities through church, work, school, and relationships to discover and develop their natural and spiritual gifts, and to expand their experience. This is referred to in the Bible as growing in wisdom.
• Practice recycling and wise stewardship of the earth's resources.
• Manage their material assets wisely. Learn about and practice financial management and biblical giving of money and resources. John Wesley would say earn all you can and give all you can." (http://www.gbod.org/…/church-membership-checklist)

Hank Hanegraaff wrote, "Of all the questions asked to answer, questions about money, specifically about the tithe are the most difficult.  He says, it is difficult in part because tithing is often hotly debated and it is difficult because research demonstrates that the vast majority of Christians not only do not tithe regularly, but give little or nothing at all in support of the church they call their church" (The Bible Answer Book, © 2004 Hank Hanegraaff).  

Discussions about tithing are uncomfortable, but they should not be, because giving is rooted in the very fabric of our faith. Why Abraham decided on giving 'ten percent' or why those that followed him continued with this ritual amount is a mystery of faith. What I know is that after I give my ten plus percent to God there is always enough to pay the bills and I also know that since I began giving I have grown spiritually, tenfold. I believe that by giving the tithe we literally knock down the wall of selfishness that surrounds our heart and inhibits spiritual growth. 

Jesus spoke more about money than any other topic. I believe he did this because he understood that selfishness is the great destroyer of faith and it creates a wall between us and God. A wall made of ice that freezes our hearts and inhibits our spiritual growth. Author and theologian Randy Alcorn says, that the tithe may well be regarded as the training wheels of giving. If that is the case and I believe it is, then tithing is just as important today as it was for the people of Israel when Moses' said, we tithe so [we] may learn to revere the Lord [our] God always (Deuteronomy 14:23).

The story of Cain and Able makes it clear that if our gifts come not from the heart they are unworthy of God's grace. God required Israel to give numerous sacrifices, not because God needed them, but because Israel needed to give in order to grow in relationship with God.

Giving has always been about growing in relationship with God by trusting and believing God created us, knows us, and cares for us so much that He gave His only begotten Son that we may have eternal life.