This Week - #10 (11/9/03)

The Great Budget Hoax

On the day I am writing this (and you get it quite a bit later than that) I am looking over the 2004 Budget that the Finance Committee has prepared for our Church. It crosses my mind that this is often the time of the year when Churches are going all out to get the commitments and pledges necessary to “subscribe” the budget for the coming year. We have never done that here at Shady Grove and some of my colleagues and friends are incredulous that we have made it this far.

            The hoax comes in the perception that one has to somehow raise this amount of money so that the organization can carry on the ministries and outreach of the family. And I suppose that would be true if this were our business or our operation. The Truth is that it is God’s business and God’s operation, and I, for one, think that He ought to support it financially, and provide all the resources we will require to do whatever it is that He will lead us to do over the 2004 Church year. After all, He controls all the wealth of the World, we are following His business plan, and we leave all the decisions up to Him.

            The natural and right question is, then, how will He do that? I’m convinced that the Book says that He does that through the financial faithfulness of those who leave the choice with Him regarding what portions of their income they are to commit to the work. If we are obedient in following His plan, obedient in doing what we are called and gifted to do, and obedient in allowing Him to choose the amount of our financial gift, how will He fail to provide enough?

            Let’s be honest! God doesn’t have most of us under control in this area. We pick a figure, or we don’t, and we give financial gifts when we feel like it, or when we are compelled to do so by those who enforce the “subscription” of the budget. I think there is a better way. What if we just give all of our financial resources to Him, purpose in our hearts to do whatever He asks, and then ask Him what we are to do?

            Now if you have trouble hearing God, or you or not willing to give Him all of your resources, or if you have some legalistic tie to the hoax people, you are going to miss the joy of giving, the richness of His pleasure, the fruitfulness of obedience, and the struggle to stay afloat financially will keep you busy. In that case, just pick an amount (say 10% or more of your income, you don’t want to rob God!) and give it regularly.

            But if you can hear God, and you want to be supremely obedient in financial matters, study the 9^th Chapter of 2 Corinthians. Don’t get caught in the “subscription hoax.” This is God’s Church, and He will provide if we are obedient. Please note: there is no pledge card attached, for if He fails us in our obedience, whoa!, do we have a story or what?

© Weaver 2003