Money Reveals Our Priorities
The late Larry Burkett used to say, "Show me your checkbook, and I'll tell you what you care about most." What we spend money on is revealing. As it relates to money, it's not what you say that matters most, but what you do. This is especially true when it comes to giving our money because it is the clearest indication of being concerned about anyone other than ourselves. Deep down, we are all born selfish. We're also geared toward self-preservation, which causes us to look out for ourselves first before taking care of others. How much money we keep for ourselves and what we are willing to give to help others is one area that best reveals this truth.
America is known as the most generous country globally, and if we look at the amount of money given, that would be a correct assumption. However, if we look at American's giving in relation to income, it would be difficult to call us generous.
The average household income in the United States, according to the latest 2017 census, is $61,372. According to one study, the average annual cash gift by 73% of respondents was under $500. If we consider two adults per household, we can increase that gift to $1,000 per year. That gift represents 1.63% of the average household income, hardly a generous amount when you consider the 98.4% that was kept. Christian giving is only slightly better, somewhere between 2% and 3%. These figures represent the average giver, which means that some give more while others give nothing. Between 37% and 50% of professed Christians give nothing, or nothing measurable, to their local church, while somewhere between 10% and 15% of churchgoers give a tithe (10%) of their income.
It’s not what we give, but what we keep
The story of the faithful widow found in Mark 12:41-44 proves that not much has changed in the past 2,000 years. And, perhaps it has gotten worse when you consider that we have less to worry about concerning our provisions today, and therefore, we should be more able and willing to be generous.
In the story, Jesus and his disciples are in the temple. Jesus is watching how people put money in the treasury and noticed that many rich put in much. Then, Jesus sees a widow approach and put in two mites. These were copper coins that were worth very little, as little as a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples over, he points out that this widow had just put more into the treasury than all who put into the treasury. I'm sure that got the disciples' attention because they knew the amount she gave was much smaller than what the rich had given. Jesus explains. The rich had given a portion of their abundance, while she gave everything she had out of her poverty. It's not what we give that reveals our priorities; it's what we keep.
The rich had more than enough to meet their needs. What they gave was out of their surplus. In other words, there was no risk or sacrifice to themselves to give what they gave. Like most Americans, they kept the largest amount for themselves, proving what was most important to them. In contrast, the widow gave 100%, everything she had to God. By her extravagant gift, she revealed her priority and proved what was most important to her.
The amount of a gift is not an accurate way to gauge the extravagance of that gift.
We are often impressed by large donations or gifts to charity when they become public. When wealthy Americans give away hundreds of millions of dollars or even a few billion dollars in a year, it's easy to think that's extravagant. But, as a November 2019 Business Insider article revealed, only three of the ten wealthiest people in America gave more than 1% to charity in 2018, the most significant gift coming from Warren Buffett at 3.9% or $3.4 Billion of his $88.3 Billion Net Worth. We're impressed by the dollar amount, but when we learn what the percent of net worth or annual income the gift represents, it's clear that there wasn't much of a sacrifice necessary for the donation to be made.
What we spend our money on is a clear indication of what we value most. If you say you care about something or someone but rarely think about how you can do more for them, instead you spend selfishly on your own, then you're not truthful and honest with yourself.
Spending only on yourself and pursuing selfish gain leads to dissatisfaction with life. Something about this pursuit leads to the opposite of what we hope and desire, fulfillment. God created us to be more fulfilled and experience more profound joy when we do something for others, not just for ourselves. This doesn't mean we should never do anything for ourselves. We should enjoy life, whatever that encompasses, but most of our focus should not be spent on our own comfort or seeking pleasure. Many people who have taken that path have suffered for it. There's an unholiness about it, and money is often the vehicle that takes us there. 1 Timothy 6:10 confirms this truth.
"For men who set their hearts on being wealthy expose themselves to temptation. They fall into one of the world's traps, and lay themselves open to all sorts of silly and wicked desires, which are quite capable of utterly ruining and destroying their souls. For loving money leads to all kinds of evil, and some men in the struggle to be rich have lost their faith and caused themselves untold agonies of mind." (1 Timothy 6:9-10 Phillips)
Setting God-pleasing Priorities
The best way to assess whether your priorities are in alignment with God's will is first to look at how and what you're spending your money on. I assume you're managing your money based on a written plan so you can clearly see what's going on. If you don't have such a plan, then that's your first step. Make a plan and start spending according to that plan. Start looking at what you're spending money on, and then prayerfully ask God to speak to you regarding your choices. Some other questions to ask are:
Am I regularly acknowledging God as owner and provider of all I have? Am I tithing or giving the first portion of my earnings to God?
Are my lifestyle choices, my house, car, what I eat, and what I wear extravagant, just right, or less than what's adequate for my family and me?
Would God be pleased with every spending decision if I gave him a monthly account of everything I spend?
God has promised to provide for us all we need (Matt 6:25-33), so we don't need to worry or strive for the things we need in life. If we trust God and stay faithful and diligent to do our part, we will have enough. But God has also promised we would have more than enough. "And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others." (2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT)
The purpose of this over and above provision we're given is to be generous whenever an occasion arises, and that's where the fulfillment and joy of life happens. When we have what we need and more to generously provide for and serve others, we experience life as God intended.
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For Further Reading:
What Does the Bible Say About Spending?
What the Widow’s Gift Says About Giving
How to Set Your House in Order
Are You Called to Stewardship Ministry?
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