As we wrap up our series on finding the financial balance in our lives between lazy and crazy, I want to draw your attention to one more concept. So often, when we talk about money in the church and giving to God’s work, there’s a lot of guilt associated with it. Sometimes people feel like they’re being brow-beaten, or coerced, or guilted into giving to God’s work.
That feeling can come from a couple of sources: one, sometimes the subject truly is presented in a somewhat legalistic way; but, two, people are convicted of their own failure to be faithful to God but are either not ready to surrender to Him on this point, or perhaps they’re in a financial situation where they feel unable to do so.
It is my deeply sincere desire that as we’ve studied God’s principles for achieving financial freedom, you have not felt guilted and shamed by it. It is my sincere desire that you’ve gained some hope for a way out; that you’ve seen God’s plan and how it’s about freedom; that rather than being discouraged by how far you may be from it, you’ve been encouraged that God doesn’t expect immediate success and you’ve been motivated to begin taking baby steps toward His financial plan. After all, this is a journey.
Last, my deepest desire of all is that we’ve all come to relate to the subject of giving from an attitude of love and gratitude to God for His awesome goodness and kindness to us. It is my prayer that all our giving would flow first and foremost from love because we are touched by what Jesus did for us at Calvary.