Still Giving?

I regularly meet with other pastors and ministry leaders and the story is the same. numbers are up and great things are happening but...giving is down. obviously this reflects a change in our economy and in some ways, in the natural world, the american church is hurting because God's people are hurting. But, it brings up a great question-giving.

We have all been asked, from time to time, to give to charity or to some worthy cause. Our first thought is to determine if it’s a worthy cause. Why is generosity such an obstacle for so many? Granted, at some point in life you have probably been burned, conned, lied to, manipulated, or tricked. Yet, still, for many it is simply the result of own selfishness and fears. This is probably why so many people are a little uneasy with it.

Most Americans desire and work towards a certain quality of life and in the natural world, giving anything away is seemingly defeating the purpose. C. S. Lewis said, “For many of us the obstacle to charity lies not in our luxurious living or desire for more money, but in our fear—fear of insecurity.” Solomon offers sound advice when it comes to generosity, and he does it by contrasting three analogies.

Investing Instead of Hoarding 11:1-2

“Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after
many days.” (Eccl 11:1)

Most of us wouldn’t consider waterlogged bread very appetizing, but that would be missing the point. Bread in the ancient Near East was made in the form of thin cakes, which would actually float for a time if thrown in a stream. But who would fling bread into the water? There is an Aramaic Proverb of Ben Sira that says, “Scatter thy bread on the water and on the dry land; in the end of the days thou findest it again.” A similar Arabic Proverb says, “Do good, cast they bread into the water, thou shalt be repaid some day.” Striving to understand what Solomon is saying here, some commentators believe this is a reference to foreign investments with ships on commercial voyages that might be long delayed before any profit resulted and that Solomon’s counsel is merely an encouragement to invest abroad. Interestingly, although the figure of speech may have originated from the realm of commerce, Solomon is talking about a different type of investment. Giving. Like investing, we must also venture forth into the realm of charitable giving yet without thought of personal gain. What may appear to be a waste for some may be the best investment ever made. God says I’ll give you a chance to trust a promise. Cast your bread upon the waters.

“Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.” (Eccl 11:2)

Again Solomon warns us about the uncertainties of life. To carry the idiom from the preceding verse further, if one ship was destroyed in a storm or its cargo stolen, other vessels would return to you. That is, don’t put all your eggs into one basket. However, like the preceding verse, this particular phrase “Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight,” is a Hebrew way of saying, “Be generous to as many as you can and then some.” Specifically, a time may come when you will need a little help from your friends. This carries the same connotation as “Be nice to people on the way up because you may need them on the way down

Moving Instead of Watching 11:3-4

“If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies.”
(Eccl 11:3)

There is a contrast between these two and yet they both share one thing in common. The coming of clouds bringing a storm of torrent rain can be watched with apprehension as it comes. The tree falling, whether it is to the south or to the north is sudden and could never have been anticipated. And yet for both, we have no control over them. There are some things in life that we dread. Likewise, there are other dreadful things that await us in the future that we cannot anticipate. Regardless, there are things we cannot control. While we need to be prudent and prepare for the unexpected, these uncertainties should not be allowed to paralyze us in our generosity. I know what some of you are thinking: “I’m just not sure that I’m in a place to be generous right now. Things can always take a turn for the worse and so I had better play it safe. When things get better I will become generous. God understands.” You are right. This is one of the ancient secrets of Kohelet. Things may take a turn for the worse. Solomon concurs that life is uncertain. However, you cannot sit back and wait until everything is secure before you invest your life into life. Because of life’s uncertainties, the time to invest is now. For example…

“He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will
not reap.” (Eccl 11:4)

Those who insist on certainties or even just the most favorable conditions before investing into the lives of others will never do anything. If a farmer waits too long for the ideal weather conditions to plant, he may subsequently miss the opportunity to harvest. Forethought and timely action are important, but we must avoid analysis paralysis. There is an element of risk here. We speak of high risk, high profit and low risk and low profit, but either way risk is present. Its easy to believe in our minds that God keeps His promises, but can we really believe it in our hearts?