SHOULD GIVING FEEL GOOD OR SHOULD IT HURT?

          In some of the workshops I’ve been facilitating, we’ve talked about generosity; and one of the examples I’ve used is about an older woman that I remember from when I was younger, and how, while I knew she wasn’t well off, she was committed to regular weekly giving, and giving over and above when a need arose. I had always been impressed, suspecting that when she was giving to God’s work through that church, she was probably giving up something for herself at the same time.

          When I’ve told that story, and when I’ve worked on a money autobiography, I’ve found that the person or persons who I identified as the most generous weren’t those who drove the best cars or put the most money in the offering plate, but was instead this woman whose gifts, in dollars, was small compared with other larger gifts, in dollars.

          I’ve viewed this story as a positive one, showing how a person is generous out of what they have, “abundant” or not. But then I encountered an article published through the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, written by Rev. Xavier L. Johnson, titled The Problem with Giving ‘Til It Hurts. His viewpoint of the story of The Widow’s Mite in the gospel of Mark (which I equate with the story I tell of the woman in my church, was that it implies that if people, particularly poor people, give until it hurts, they’ll earn a gold star from God. The author talks about the context of the story originally, being set during a time when the Roman’s oppressive rulership of the day left many Jews destitute.

          I don’t think that inviting people to give implies pain. I believe that inviting people to give is inviting them to be generous. Some gifts may require a sacrifice, certainly, but it shouldn’t be painful. Generosity needs to be more than a practice, but must be foundational and part of our lifestyle. Asking people to give and be generous is only part of the picture. If we’re one of those persons doing “the ask”, then we also have to bear responsibility for using those gifts in the way Jesus would ask us to; and be transparent and not manipulative.  It’s a two-sided covenant, just as our covenant with God is two-sided. If we’re asking for gifts, then we have to be responsible in the way we utilize those gifts and how we ask.

          In other words, giving should feel good and joyous. And that joy translates to the use of those gifts for God’s work in the world.