Brutally Honest

Posted by guest blogger BroKen

The couple had just returned from a mission trip to Haiti so I asked them to come to church and tell of their experiences. They told of entering a village and being swamped with children all around their vehicle. They had brought cookies to share with the children but there were so many children and so few cookies. They knew there wouldn’t be enough to go around. I guess they could have prayed for a miracle but they began to pass out the cookies and spontaneously the children with cookies began to break them in half to share with those who had none. When I heard that tale I couldn’t help but think of my own children. Would they have spontaneously, naturally, gladly shared their cookie? “No! It’s mine!†is heard over and over again in my house. Where do my children pick up that attitude? Probably from their Dad.

So, when Morgan concludes that the author of “Why Christians S**k†is projecting from a “nasty heart†and I realize that I have preached similar s**ky sermons, or at least sermons that have made similar points, I have to take Morgan’s conclusion seriously and personally. And it hurts. But it is a good hurt, Morgan. It is the kind of hurt that is supposed to lead one to repentance.

We who love and lead the church are often perplexed and frustrated by the behavior of those we love and are called to lead. We know it is destructive behavior and must be changed if the church and each individual in it is to be what they are called to be. It’s not hard to find the same destructive patterns in ourselves and like a frantic parent we find ourselves crying out, “Do what Jesus says! Not what I do!†Morgan says that he does not mean to say that we are hypocrites. But that is exactly what he should say. Because, in fact, hypocrite is what we are.

But here is a piece of the puzzle that Morgan might be missing when he hears preachers “talk smack†about giving ‘til it hurts. There is much to be gained personally, spiritually, emotionally, socially from sacrificial giving. But we preachers are somewhat reluctant to focus on the benefits lest our hearers shift from one form of greed to another. If one gives in order to get, even if the return on the investment is treasure in heaven, then one still has an issue with selfishness. And selfishness is the root of our problem. The point Jesus made over and over is that there is a link between our wallets and our hearts. How we spend the money indicates 1)what is really important to us and 2)whether we acknowledge the One who gave us the money to use. Anyone one who struggles with giving 10% will REALLY STRUGGLE with the concept that ALL they have and ALL THEY ARE belongs to God.

We have it on good authority that God loves a cheerful giver. So, ultimately, we should not give until it hurts, but give until it tickles! Yet most of us have to go through quite a dry spell of cross bearing before we get to the promised land of joy.

Finally, here is poem that deals with some of these issues.

A Little or a Lot? You Decide!

I tell you a tale of a stingy man
    Who came to church one day.
The folks there wondered, “What is his plan
    To make the Lord’s Day pay?â€

It was music he wanted, this sly one;
    A choir and organ thrill.
If the sermon’s not bad he’d have some fun
    And lose not one small bill.

But he’d forgotten about the off’ring.
    Greedy ones often do.
When the usher came by for the off’ring
    He wasn’t sure what to do.

The usher was wise. He waited and shook
    The money in the plate.
Just that and look was all that it took
    To clearly indicate.

At first it seemed he yielded; was going
    To reach for his wallet.
Then deep in a pocket he found one coin;
    A penny we call it.

The usher was stunned when he saw it;
    The copper in the plate.
The usher cried out when he saw it,
    “Oh my! Praise God! It’s great!â€

(Every usher you know’s a collector
    Of money; bills and coin.
This usher was a collector
    Of rarest kinds of coin.)

“You gave a penny worth thousands! We thought
    you were filled with greed.
We’ll sell it. O what hath God wrought?
    It meets our desp’rate need.â€

The people examined the copper proof
    Of this miracle gift.
The church needed thousands to fix the roof.
    This gift gave faith a lift.

The people stood and the man was lauded
    By almost all the crowd.
For several minutes they applauded.
    It made him rather proud.

He thought, “I would not have given it
    Had I known the amount
But at least up in heav'n I get credit;
    Treasure to my account.â€

A widow was seated behind him who
    The people thought was bad
For she always gave just a penny, too.
    But that was all she had.

She rose up to her feet by the miser
    And whispered in his ear.
“I would make you a little bit wiser.
    Listen to me, my dear.

“You make such a fuss over money and
    Count every cent that’s spent
But God doesn’t care about money, man.
    He’s watching your intent.

“The Lord loves a cheerful giver. You see
    Little becomes a lot.
When it’s all I have, my penny can be
    Worth more than all you’ve got.

“But a fortune given by accident
    Is just one cent to God.
A lot becomes little when that’s what’s meant.
    You think you can fool God?â€

This Sunday in church when the ushers come
    I hope you’ll take to heart
The stingy man, the widow’s words and some
    Wisdom she would impart.

I hope you ‘ll believe the widow’s words true
    When the offering starts.
Treasure in heaven is for the one’s who
    Give with all of their hearts.

                                    --Mark 12:41-44