Tuesday Read: The Greed of Giving

Check your motives the next time you write a check to your church or drop cash in the offering plate. Are you giving to bless others, or are you giving to feel good about yourself? Are you seeking God's glory, or are you purchasing spiritual respectability? The church in Macedonia faced severe poverty, yet Paul wrote that "their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity" (2 Corinthians 8:2). But today's givers often give from abundance to abundance—using charitable donations as tax deductions, social signaling, or spiritual merit badges.

Jesus watched the widow give her two small coins and declared that she had given more than all the wealthy donors who gave from their surplus (Luke 21:1-4). The difference wasn't the amount—it was the sacrifice. The rich gave what they wouldn't miss; the widow gave what she couldn't afford. Her gift cost her something; theirs cost them nothing. Modern tithing often falls into the latter category—mechanical percentage-giving that requires no faith, no sacrifice, and no dependence on God's provision.

The Pharisees were meticulous tithers who gave exactly 10% of everything, including their garden herbs (Matthew 23:23). Yet Jesus condemned them as hypocrites because their giving was divorced from their hearts. They tithed to be seen by others, to maintain their religious reputation, and to earn God's favor through mathematical precision. Sound familiar? We've turned generosity into legalism, transforming the joy of giving into the burden of obligation.

Scripture calls for proportional giving—"as he may prosper" (1 Corinthians 16:2)—but not necessarily identical percentages. Some believers should give more than 10%; others, facing genuine hardship, might honor God by giving less. The issue isn't the percentage but the heart. Are you giving sacrificially or conveniently? Are you trusting God's provision or hedging your financial bets? Are you seeking to bless others or to bless yourself through the psychological benefits of generosity?

Paul's fundraising letter to the Corinthians contains a startling promise: "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7). Not a dutiful giver, not a percentage giver, but a cheerful giver—someone who delights in sharing God's blessings with others. When giving becomes joyless obligation rather than grateful worship, we've turned grace into law and missed the heart of Christian stewardship entirely.