Am I the Grinch?

Listening to the radio over the last few days the appeals to give for the needy children who will not be having a happy Christmas have been overwhelming.  The desire to give has not been there!  Am I the Grinch?  Am I heartless?  What is wrong with me?

You have to understand I am a missionary, and this past year I have been given the responsibility to seek and raise support for the ministries my mission is working with.  I was born in Mexico, “a poor country.”  My presents growing up were not great because my parents did not have a great salary.  I still did much better on Christmas morning than most kids around me. 

In spite of being “poor”, well that is what some people in the states considered me, we always had a great time of Christmas with our homemade Christmas tree (my dad made a frame of a branch and some chicken wire that we poked pine branches in) and one small gift apiece under the tree. 

Christmas was exciting because we went to all the small villages and had Christmas programs that packed the small churches out.  My memories were of people coming to know the Lord at the Christmas and programs which were about Christmas, but were more about sharing the Gospel.

Having said all this, as I “ruminated” over all these appeals and the difficulty of getting people to give to missions.  I wondered, have we taught our children to give?

Most of the people supporting missions are elderly.  I don’t see too many young couples giving to missions.  Something I started doing as soon as I started making a bit of money, because that was what I had been taught.  I gave even though I myself was a kid on the mission field.

I then thought.  Why are we to give?  Is there a Biblical reason other than just having been taught by my parents? 

If we look at Scripture we find several very interesting reasons to give.

1. We will be blessed

              This sounds a bit selfish, but God himself says it.

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Honor the Lord with your wealth
    and with the best part of everything you produce.
Then he will fill your barns with grain,
    and your vats will overflow with good wine.  Proverbs 3:9-10

2. It will make others thankful

Paul says that it would make the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem thank God if the people at Corinth would give generously for their needs. (They were persecuted and going through a time of famine.)

Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 2 Corinthians 9:11

Jesus says that we should invest our money in order we would have friends that would receive us when we get to heaven ourselves.  What better than to give so that other would come to know Christ as their Savior?  What rejoicing and thanksgiving this will produce as well as we get blessed ourselves.

And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the ^[a]wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.  Luke 16:9  NASB

3. God commands it.

Well whether we like it or not it is part of what we have been commanded by Christ to do.  Are we teaching our children to be disobedient by not teaching them to give to the work of the Lord?

“Well then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”  Luke 20:25

You might not believe in tithing and that is fine, but according to the previous verse there is that which we are to give to God, because it is God’s.  When we don’t do it we are cheating God and hurting ourselves.  And maybe we don’t have enough to give to God because we are not giving God His due.

“Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!

“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’

“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me.  You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!

Having said all this I think we also need to look at the need.

We have been placed here on earth as God’s children to make sure His kingdom grows.  Life is short and as His children we are going to spend eternity in heaven.  Are we getting ready for that? Are we training our children for their true vocation?  It will be in heaven not here.

We are to make sure the Gospel gets out to all the nations, including here at home.

So what are we doing to make sure our children learn what is really important?

As humans we are born selfish.  Being generous is something that needs to be taught purposefully by word and by example.  We do teach our children to give from their allowance and from what they earn, or do they need to be adults before they start acting like children of God?

Are we teaching them to give for the salvation of souls or only to causes that make us feel good because of our better life style?  Does it make us feel guilty that we have so much so we need to help others enjoy a little bit of life?

I am not against giving to the poor, but I do think we need to make sure that along with it there is a purpose of showing them the love of Christ. We need to make sure they get to hear the message of the Savior that was born to save them of their sins.  Only this will leave a lasting legacy.

I am about giving at Christmas, but more about making sure people without Christ hear about Him and His salvation, specially at this time of the year.

Take the time to teach your children starting today.