Why Would Anyone Give Away Money?

Living on support requires two things: someone willing to live on support, and people willing to support them. So, an obvious question that comes up is why people should give away money – at all, to anyone. Not just me. So, continuing my series of articles about living on support, here is the big answer to the big question:

Why should you donate money? Why not just keep it all to yourself? After all, you earned it.

Yes, you did earn the money you have. You do have any right to do with it whatever you would like to. However, there are several very good reasons to be generous with your money.

1. Being generous frees you from the influence of money. Let's face it, money is intoxicating. If all you want is to reach a point where you don't need any more money, you will never reach it. No matter how much you have, you will always want more, or know someone who has more. I've known a multimillionaire who was one of the most greedy people I've encountered. I've also met some poor people who seemed more content and happy than I thought was possible. Wealth is an illusion, and all the money in the world can't satisfy your need for more. The only way to break free of the addicting power is to start giving money away. Intentionally putting money into something that will not benefit you directly is one of the most powerful things a person can do to make their life better and more exciting.

2. Giving money allows you to be involved in something you otherwise couldn't be.

Many times we would like to do things to make a difference in the world. But try as we might, we are only one person and can only do so much. If you are someone who has a job, you probably have a job for an honorable reason – like supporting your family, or driving the economy, or because you don't want to live with your parents (If you don't have a good reason for having a job other than paying the rent, maybe you should seriously re-evaluate the choices you're making). Earning money, however, has this ability to consume nearly everything you do, so that by the time you're done working and earning the money you have very little time to give to something that you feel is truly worthwhile and meaningful. That's where giving comes in. Not everyone can just quit their job. I get that. However, they can donate some of the energy that they use working on that job to a cause they believe in by giving some money to it. That way they are still participating, still doing the work of world-changing, just in an outsourced kind of way. It's a partnership: one person works a job so he can earn money, but is unable to do any sort of work helping others; another works helping others but is unable to receive any pay for it. By working together, both of their goals are accomplished.

3. There is a huge payoff in giving money away.

Financially, you will never see that money again. You can kiss it good-bye. However, emotionally and spiritually, there is a huge reward. You get the satisfaction of knowing that you are doing something honorable. You get the pleasure of knowing that you are making a difference, not just being a leech on the planet. You get to have relationships with people who are on the front lines. You become a source of good instead of just a receptacle for it. In the end, it simply feels great. That's an awesome reason.

4. You can.

This one seems so simple. If we could somehow shrink the world down to one dinner table, we in the western world would be astounded at how grossly we gorge ourselves while the rest of the world has to make due with the bare minimums. I'm not saying that we should equally re-distribute wealth. I'm simply saying that it becomes less important to upgrade to the new 120 Mhz high definition monitor when you consider that there are young people selling themselves into unspeakably hellish situations because they don't see any other means of surviving. Life is not about how much you can cause to flow towards yourself. It's about flowing outwards, creating life instead of simply consuming it.

5. God asks us to.
   If you're a Christian, this is a basic part of your belief system. (If you're not a Christian, I highly recommend it!) However, Biblical generosity is not simply 10% - that's just the bare minimum (and if you really want to get into it, the 10% amount is questionable – more like 24-30% in the Old Testament). True Biblical generosity is about giving everything that you have and everything that you are, laying down your rights and your very life to do what God wants in this world. Giving 10% to a church is a far cry from the radical generosity God calls us to.

So, you up for the challenge of giving up some money? In the next few days I'll tell you why you should give to me, and answer some other pressing questions about tent-making, missions vs. church, and others!