What motivates people to give? You could read about results of research on this topic about what part of giving is motivated by self interest and what part is motivated by serving others. Our interest here is not the human psychology side of giving motivation, but the biblical motivation. What do we find in the bible about giving with the right motives?
It is important for us not just to give to the Lord, but to give with the right motives. Jesus rebukes those who gave with the wrong motives, so we need to carefully consider our motives and how our motives align with God’s purposes and glorify God.
In the sermon on the mount Jesus warns the crowds of giving with wrong motives.
So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, (Matthew 6:2-3)
It is wrong to give to receive recognition.
This passage is clear about wrongs motives in giving that pleases God. The motive should not be drawing attention to yourself. Do not announce your giving to the poor. We are not to sound trumpets so everyone will know about our giving. We don’t need to make a display of our giving to be seen and heard.
It means don’t let your motive for giving to be honored by men. It is not wrong if your gift is put on a board to encourage others to set an example. It is wrong if your motive to giving is recognition. There is the problem of the gift being recognized publicly of blurring the line of not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. The idea for selfless giving is secret giving.
It is wrong to give to manipulate.
There have been cases where wealthy landowners gave money to the church to keep the church leaders from addressing injustices, they were guilty of. This would be an example where someone could give huge amounts of money, but the heavenly reward would be miniscule.
What is even worse is when money is given in an attempt to manipulate God. Dear God, I gave such and such amount of money to this worthy cause, now I demand so and so.
It is wrong to give and expect return.
This is where the prosperity gospel has taken a wrong turn. Anytime we promote giving to get we have given with the wrong motive. This is what Jesus condemned in the Sermon on the Mount.
It is true that the patriarchs had massive wealth, but Jesus the Son of Man had no place to lay his head.
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:32-36)
The emphasis is to give to those who cannot pay you back You don’t expect a return gift. There are those who receive back something when they give and some who do not. There are those who give and then find their own financial need was miraculously met. But that does not always happen, and we have wrong motives if we give to expect that to happen. It is wrong to give to get. That is giving with the wrong motive.
So far, we have seen some wrong motives for giving. Let’s look at some of the right motives for giving.
God’s grace is a pure and right motive for giving.
God’s grace to us is the undeserved favor and blessing that we have from God. The Christian has nothing he has not first received from God. Even the very act of giving is itself a gift of God. It is giving part of what by God’s grace He has given to us.
But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love, we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. (2 Corinthians 8:7)
The cross of Christ is our motive for giving.
This is the great standard for all giving. It is one that we could never match. That is why it is true to say we cannot out give God. His love reached to us the undeserving. God was rich (incomprehensively so) and became poor when Christ took on humanity.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)
Jesus went from the riches of the throne of God to the poverty of the cross. Jesus did all this for your sake. God gave that much to us in Christ. Of course, you are grateful. But beyond that our gratitude should motivate us to become poor to make others spiritually rich. We should be motivated to provide for the seed of the gospel to reach the ends of the earth.
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. (2 Corinthians 9:10)
Christ died for you the just for the unjust to bring you to God. This should motivate you to give for the gospel to reach those who otherwise will not hear. The cross is our salvation, and it is our motivation for giving.
As you value your new life in Christ you should be motivated to gave sacrificially to the work of your local church. You should be motivated to act globally for the gospel to reach the ends of the earth.
Our worship experience motivates us to give.
Our worship is our response to God. Our communion and fellowship with God. Giving is an integral part of our worship and expressing our love to God. In the Old Testament the thank offering for the Hebrews is an example where giving was a part of worship.
I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you;
I will praise your name, LORD, for it is good. (Psalm 54:6)
We want to deepen our worship experience. This is motivation that pleases the Lord for our giving. Paul instructed an offering to be collected as an overflow of many thanks to God.
This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. (2 Corinthians 9:12)
Meeting human needs motivates us to give.
We see human needs and suffering all around us. Human needs motivate Christians and non-Christians to give. We mentioned some wrong motives for giving at the beginning, but we can mention the tragedy when some bad actors exploit needs for their own gain.
Paul suggests that the believer in Christ, out of his abundance should help meet the needs of the needy.
At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality. (2 Corinthians 8:14)
Meeting physical needs is not enough in our giving. There is a lost and dying world out there. We need to see the banner of Christ lifted up. That all may see. That may hear. When someone shared the gospel with the unreached the question they got was, why did my parents and grandparents not hear this message? Don’t let another generation miss hearing of Christ.
Our motive is that our community may be more effectively reached for Christ. When you become uncomfortable when people perish without Christ that is a legitimate motive to give.
Showing our love for God motivates us to give.
Love is more than a fluffy or even good intension. Love translates into action. Gifts of the poor Macedonian churches to the needy churches of Jerusalem was proof of genuine love.
I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. (2 Corinthians 8:8)
We have a moral and biblical incentive to give out of love. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:35) Christianity is about love. That love manifests itself on our giving.
Substantial evidence of that love is when we are willing to part with our property, with whatever value it has to us. Love is always a pure motive before God. Love seeks not its own. Giving in love is the way Christ gave himself for us.
How do we avoid the wrong motives in giving and give with pure and right motives? It begins by giving our life to Christ. To follow Christ and walk by faith.
