BUILD GIVING WARRIORS
Few things make Pastors more uncomfortable than the need to ask for money from people who have significant financial means. It seems we are more than willingly to ask people for prayer and to build a team of ‘prayer warriors’, but when it comes to money we shy away from releasing people into their calling to be truly generous.
Believers with substantial financial means are called to extravagant generosity just as much as the rest of us. The main difference is that they have significant resources at their disposal that they may or may not be using for God’s kingdom.
The natural reaction to talking about discipling big givers is that you don’t want to show favoritism. Granted, you should not show favoritism to one member over another. But on the other hand you should not be neglecting any member from true financial discipleship including those who God has blessed with significant resources to fund his kingdom. Failing to unlock the potential of big givers in your Church will severely limit your ability to fund your Mission and achieve your Vision!
This is not about valuing the people with larger financial resources over others. Whilst everyone is equally valuable in the eyes of the Lord, let’s remember that their obligations are not the same “to whom much is given, much is expected” (Luke 12:48). This expression applies to all aspects of life, not just money. The determining factor when it comes to giving is the heart.
Giving should be made with joy, as an act of worship. Remember that Jesus valued the actions of the poor widow putting in the temple treasury all she had, even though in natural terms it was a pitiful amount, over the actions of the big givers who only gave out of their abundance or to be seen. Why? She literally gave it all! What an amazing act of generosity on her behalf. She knew where her treasure was. Now, your natural mind might be thinking, she did not have much to lose after all. Well, let’s put it into perspective, what would be your natural reaction about having the last hundred dollars in your pocket? Would you give it all away to someone in need?
My point is it’s not about the amount; it’s about the attitude. Why should a richer person be more generous? Simply because they can! The key is to have the right approach to shepherding their hearts towards God in a way that they are ‘willingly’ obedient to his requests and set free to give, not ‘out of fear’ but ‘without fear’.
God blesses some people with significant financial means. Your role is not to ‘get’ money from them. Your role is to help them fulfill one of their roles, which is to fund God’s kingdom! Often these people have complicated lives and trust few people. You have an opportunity to become their trusted spiritual adviser and provide them with biblical wisdom, encouragement and provide spiritual covering through prayer.
Focus on how you can build genuine relationships with those of significant means and partner with them to build God’s kingdom. You will be releasing them from the hold that money can have on people and will be empowering them to achieve one of their God given missions in this brief earthly life.
How can you build that sort of relationship with those people?
- Don’t start with money, money is the last thing, the end result of the whole process; start with the heart.
- You have to earn the right to be able to speak in their lives. Being their Pastor means you have the responsibility, but not necessarily the right. You earn the right by having a genuine relationship with them whereby you show them Christ’s love.
- Look attentively to their intentions, hopes, needs and dreams. What do they reflect? Are they heading in the right direction? (i.e. are they overly materialistic, selfish, stressed, and somewhat unrealistic?).
- Remember not to judge them but to direct them and correct them with love if necessary.
- Reflect back to them their thoughts and priorities, often people are unable to evaluate their life choices until someone else puts ‘a mirror’ in front of them.
- Emphasize the need for the church to give not only generously but also sacrificially.
- Explain the concept of sacrificial giving (i.e. would God consider my lifestyle extravagant and lavish? This is not about a poverty mentality where we all need to be poor to be closer to God. Equally, cruising around in a $2 million dollar boat whilst ignoring the needs of my neighbour, does not seem wise).
It is easy to give out of our abundance, but would you be willing to for example to downsize the boat, buy a $300,000 one instead and give the rest away? I know what you must be thinking right now, $300,000 still seems like an awful lot of money to me! That’s not the point! As I’ve said before, it’s not about the amount; it’s about the heart. If you make it about the amount the sum will never be right. It’s the motive that counts. If you give $100,000 to get $1,000,000, you’re getting it wrong. If you give $100,000 only to be seen, it is also wrong, remember “do not let your right hand know what the left one does” (Matthew 6:3).
What if you felt guided by the Holy Spirit to sell the boat and give it all away! Maybe after that act of obedience God decides to give you an even better, bigger one. After all, like a good father, he loves giving good things to his children; but make no mistake ‘God sees your heart’. However, should that not be the case, he would still owe you nothing and your joy should only come from giving, without expecting anything in return. That is the attitude of the ‘right heart’. That is why Jesus says that it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. He says so, not because he dislikes rich people, but because their hearts and minds are focused on the things of this world. Their heart is in the wrong place. They are not able to let go of their possessions, not even for God.
Reflection
What are you doing to empower the potential giving warriors in your Church?
Call to Action
Sit down with your leadership team and identify people who have the potential to be your giving warriors. Find out who already has good relationships with them and how they can be nurtured. Pray for them. Determine how you can be their spiritual advisor and bless them.