Giving with the Right Motive
“Good Hopes” furnishes opportunity to express love
NO ONE can properly find fault with Jehovah God’s way of doing things. Those who do find fault do so only because of ignorance or pride. God, in dealing with his creatures, at all times combines in perfect balance his four cardinal attributes of wisdom, justice, power and love. The more we become acquainted with him and his Word the more we come to appreciate that fact.
When God began to create, after having spent a past eternity alone, he did not do so because he lacked companionship, for he is ever self-contained; and in giving certain duties to certain of his creatures to perform it was not to save himself some work as though he became tired in his work, for he never grows weary. (Ps. 90:2; Isa. 40:28) Rather, it was because in his wisdom and love he knew that others would enjoy existence even as he does; and that they would enjoy doing things, even as he does, though, of course, on an infinitesimally smaller scale. So God not only created intelligent creatures able to enjoy existence, but also endowed them with various faculties, together with the urge to make use of them, and then gave them opportunities to employ these faculties in various ways.—Gen. 1:26-28; 2:17, NW.
Today, however, God’s immediate purpose for his earthly creatures does not involve the mandate given in Eden to become fruitful, fill and subdue the earth, but rather concerns itself with the prophetic commands long ago given by him and his Son, such as “Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah,” and, “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness to all the nations.” (Isa. 43:10-12, AS; Matt. 24:14, NW) Each fully dedicated servant of Jehovah God delights to devote as much time and energy as possible to the obeying of these commands, appreciating that both his own salvation and that of others are involved. (1 Tim. 4:16) During the past service year this work, as directed by the Watch Tower Society, was carried on in 143 countries, islands and colonies, and that by some half million Christian ministers who devoted more than 72 million hours to this work. One of the results of all this activity was that during the year more than fifty thousand persons dedicated themselves to serve Jehovah God likewise.
Of course, every one of these would like to devote his entire time to this vital work, but by far the greater number, approximately ninety-five per cent, are unable to do so because of family obligations or other restraining factors. However, many of these are able to help provide the financial sinews needed to build up, organize and direct this tremendous preaching activity, and particularly to make possible the training of missionaries and then caring for them in foreign lands. Not that God needs our money, for, as he plainly tells us through the psalmist: “Every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. If I were hungry, I would not tell you.” (Ps. 50:10, 12, RS) Rather, here again it is his love and wisdom that indicate giving his earthly children the privilege of co-operating. How should this privilege be called to their attention, and in what manner and in what way can they best co-operate?
POPULAR METHODS UNSCRIPTURAL
Recently the foremost United States Roman Catholic weekly, Our Sunday Visitor, January 31, 1954, devoted practically an entire issue to stressing the giving of money on the part of Catholics, shaming them by implying unfavorable comparisons with Protestants, such as: “We Can Learn from Others”; and, “Here’s the Zeal We Ought to Have.” Curiously, however, Catholics themselves were left in the dark as to how much they actually gave. Shall we encourage giving by making unfavorable comparisons? No, for we are not to give because of contentiousness; each man stands or falls to his own master.—Phil. 2:3; Rom. 14:4.
In another issue of the same publication one of the widely advertised Roman Catholic prelates encouraged giving as a means of atonement for sins: “If there is anything in your past life you would like to atone for, the best way to do it is to make a sacrifice . . . pin your sacrifice to this column and send it to the Most Reverend Fulton J. Sheen, . . . or to your Diocesan Director.” Is that a valid inducement to make contributions? No, for not with silver and gold, but with Christ’s precious blood are our sins wiped out. Not with works of self-righteousness, but through faith do we gain forgiveness.—1 Pet. 1:18; Rom. 11:6; 1 John 2:1.
More and more are religious organizations, both Catholic and Protestant, stressing the giving of the tithe. Thus a headline of a United Press dispatch, December 1, 1953, read: “31,000,000 Asked to Give Church Tenth of Wages.” Surely, some will say, this is the best method of getting support for a religious work, for is it not taught in the Bible?
From the time of Moses to the time of Christ the Israelites gave a tenth, but such is not obligatory for Christians, who have been made free from the law. (Rom. 10:4) Further, let us not forget that by reason of our dedication to Jehovah we owe him not only our tithe but our all, even as by faith we enjoy Jehovah’s rest not only one day in seven but every day. (Heb. 4:1-11) Then also let us note that because of economic inequalities some may be unable to give a tenth while others could give much more. Incidentally, in this connection it might not be amiss to observe that the law in the United States allows persons and corporations to deduct amounts contributed to religious and other charitable causes up to twenty per cent of their total taxable income.
Protestant clergymen are urged to purchase a book containing more than thirty fund-raising sermons that have “raised sums ranging from twenty thousand to three hundred thousand dollars.” According to one Wilmington, North Carolina, clergyman, as quoted in Time magazine, September 21, 1953, there are “so many special financial drives in the church today, that ‘I find there are only three Sundays in the year that I can preach the Gospel of Christ.’” While this clergyman may have been exaggerating for the purpose of emphasis, still what about this method? Look where we may in the Scriptures, not once do we read of Moses or any of the prophets, nor of Christ nor of any of his disciples, preaching fund-raising sermons.
Some religious bodies send out letters importuning their members to pledge so much; others appoint a committee that makes personal calls upon each parishioner; others feature movies stressing giving; others have bazaars, raffles, lotteries and bingo games; while some even go so far as to publish a booklet at the end of the year indicating in black and white just how much each member was apportioned to give and how much he actually gave, down to the last cent. And then there is the ever-present collection plate or basket that is passed often. However, not much time need be spent pondering over which of these methods to choose, for they all have one thing in common, namely, no support in the Scriptures.
THE SCRIPTURAL METHOD
What is the Scriptural method? Simply make known the fact that there is an opportunity or privilege of giving and then let the amount of voluntary contributions received determine the expansion of the work in both home and foreign missions. That is the way it was done in the days of Moses when the time came for building the beautiful tabernacle or tent of meeting and furnishing it, and there was such ready response that soon the Israelites had to be told to stop bringing contributions, for they had more than enough.—Ex. 35:4, 5, 21; 36:3-7.
Yes, truly dedicated Christians give voluntarily. They do not need to have every device known to psychology applied to them to get them to part company with some of their hard-earned money. They appreciate that “there is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving”; that “a liberal man will be enriched”; and that it is their privilege, to the extent of their resources, “to be rich in right works, to be liberal, ready to share.” (Acts 20:35, NW; Prov. 11:25, RS; 1 Tim. 6:18, NW) They also know that “he that sows bountifully will also reap bountifully,” and that each one is to “do just as he has resolved in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” With them there is “a readiness to want to do,” which is “especially acceptable according to what a person has.” (2 Cor. 9:6, 7; 8:11, 12, NW) And finally, they appreciate the point David so well made at the time of gathering the materials to build the temple, namely, that such giving is merely returning a portion of what God gave them in the first place.—1 Chron. 29:14.
For all such, all that is necessary is an annual reminder to advise the Society what they hope to be able to give during the coming year. This will help the Society to plan its work as well as aid each one contributing to give the matter mature consideration.
Those living in the United States may address their card or letter to Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, Treasurer’s Office, 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn 1, New York. In writing about these “Good Hopes,” something like the following may be stated: “It is my hope that during the next twelve months I shall be able to donate to the work of praising Jehovah the amount of $______, which contributions I shall make in such amounts and at such times as prove convenient to me and as I am prospered by the undeserved kindness of Jehovah God through Christ Jesus. [signed]” It may be well to keep a copy of your card or letter as a reminder to yourself. On page 258 is a list of other branch office addresses, and a complete list is found on the last page of the Yearbook.
Appreciating that everything depends upon Jehovah God, all his servants will unite in prayer that their work will have his blessing so that it may yield increase to his praise.—1 Cor. 3:6.