HANDS HEADLINES

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44

Preaching to the choir usually is inherently unhelpful, can appear illogical and comical, and also can get you in trouble. Yet, that is what I am embarking on with this blog post. Hopefully it won’t get me into too much trouble, and perhaps it will even go against the normal trend and be somewhat helpful.

Over the past several months, we’ve been working full time on developing new financial support for our ministry. Raising support has consumed our time and efforts not just this year alone, but in several seasons throughout many of the last 14 years on staff with Campus Crusade. You could say it is a normal way of life for us.

All of that is to say that we have learned a thing or two (and have a LOT more to learn) about giving and receiving.

We’re convinced that most, if not all of our ministry supporters do give joyfully. Very joyfully.

Therefore this topic will appear to be preaching to the choir and thus my disclaimers above. Nevertheless. . . I know that sometimes the best sermons I hear are those that I preach and re-preach to myself! So, I need to hear this even if others don’t:

Here is a common thought which creeps up in my mind when opportunities arise to give to the Lord’s work:

“Hmmmm. The Lord loves a cheerful giver. Joyful giving. . . . Giving joyfully. Isn’t this one of those huge oxymorons we have just come to accept? How could I possibly gain more joy (not decrease it) by giving away my money?? Isn’t giving just one of those ‘necessary evils’ that we just have to do in order to obey God? Like eating brussels sprouts and broccoli and saying that those items made the meal even more tasty?”

It is true that Jesus commands us to give. And, everything on earth – including all ‘my’ money – belongs to Him.

But let’s look at the heart behind the imperative to give. When we look at all that Jesus had to say about money and giving, we find something very interesting. Jesus says that the type of giving which pleases Him actually increases my joy and my treasure. This is a radical thought in our money-driven culture. It is quite the opposite concept of financial investments. Investing increases my treasure on earth. Giving decreases my treasure on earth yet increases my ultimate joy.

Jesus says it is also possible to give out of a pseudo-type of obedience, yet without joy and without increasing your treasure. Notice several times He tore apart the Pharisees and religious leaders (could be just like me) for . . .tithing! Giving or tithing out of this weak and impure motive does not result in more joy and obviously is displeasing to the Lord.

Joyful giving is a stark contrast. It is defined by a heart attitude which is a result of God’s amazing, powerful grace. Joyful giving is an overflow or result of Jesus’ initiative to seek me out and love me – while I was yet a sinner. He gave first. Anything I give is the result of His magnanimous first gift.

When I see God and new life in Him as the ultimate treasure, my financial giving is a mere token of gratitude I can afford for Him. The parable of the man who found the hidden treasure sheds light on this: In his joy (emphasis mine), he liquidated his assets in order to buy the field where his treasure was hidden. Jesus introduces this parable by saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like . . .” If earthly treasure hidden in a field adds value and joy to our life, how much more will the heavenly treasures in His Kingdom bring us?

Jesus puts it this way: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” The real treasure is God Himself – our all-sufficient source of satisfaction for every desire we have. Scripture says we have this treasure in our hearts. We already have the deposit guaranteeing our eternal joy! Giving to the Lord is one heart exercise for this life on earth which lets us experience that joy here and now.

Of course, I give intellectual assent to the fact that heavenly treasure is more valuable than earthly treasure. Yet, do I truly believe it? Often I find myself living more like the man who accumulated earthly treasures until he had to tear down his barns and build bigger ones in order to store all of his ‘stuff.’

So how do I get more joy through giving? Only through a grace-based relationship with the Treasure Himself – Jesus. Mere happiness can be found almost anywhere – especially in the “you can buy anything right now with zero down” instant-gratification world we live in. Yet, true lasting joy is only found by enjoying the Joy-Giver Himself.

Just some thoughts as I preach to the choir and myself. Thanks for listening.

[Notes: I give great credit to Dr. John Piper who influenced my thoughts on this subject through his audio sermon “Treasures in Heaven.” You may read the sermon transcript on Dr. Piper’s site or download the audio sermon here.]