The State We’re In

Many American Christians share several things in common: Most believe that the Bible is true, and desire, at least in attitude, to be obedient to its teachings. Most American Christians profess wanting to advance the spread of the gospel, help the poor and needy, and bring dignity to other marginalized groups. And yet sadly, most American Christians are also remarkably ungenerous with their finances, time, and other resources, all of which significantly inhibits the extent to which we can follow the Bible’s teachings, spread the gospel, and help the needy. Individual sources may vary, but research shows that Christians in America give an average of only 2-3% of their income away. Surprisingly, this giving percentage closely resembles that of non-Christians alike. We can try to explain away the statistics by finding faults in the research, but the consensus is clear: American Christians give far below their capacity.

There are a lot of nuances to this issue of ungenerosity, but the best way to understand and respond to this is from a Biblical perspective. In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, he challenges the early Christians in a way that still relates to us today. This is what he says in Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The state of our giving is a reflection that our culture has an influence over us in ways that we may not realize. Our lack of giving should not imply that most of us are intentionally greedy or selfish. We don’t desire to be ungenerous or consciously harden our hearts, but rather the state of our giving may expose some beliefs or behaviors that govern us that may be difficult to admit.

Our culture today is built around consumerism. It’s all around us. Not only is our leisure based on consumerism, but our work and livelihood are as well. In some way or another, through our work we’re all offering a good or service for the intent of other people to consume. This system is not intended to be bad. Nobody is trying to hurt others by promoting consumerism, however the engrained effects have negative consequences. Without a Biblical perspective to anchor us, we conform to the pattern of this world. We start to believe that the way we pursue satisfaction is by pursuing things. Therefore, instead of getting satisfaction by giving, we’re getting satisfaction by consuming.

So what do we do when we realize that our habits don’t line up with God’s expectations? The second part of romans 12:2 provides clarity; we must renew our minds. Raising awareness of the state we’re in and our lack of giving can be helpful, but this alone doesn’t renew our mind and lead to change. We renew our minds by individually recognizing our shortcomings and taking intentional steps to change. We must begin to think differently and act differently about how we give. Instead of thinking that it’s good to have all these great possessions and then give from what’s leftover, we can think that it’s better to give more than we consume, because our giving impacts the world and the people within. When we believe this value, our behavior will begin to change to reflect this. We will start to give from our first fruits and consume with what remains. We will look for opportunities to invest our free time in people rather than in things. A life of transformation awaits us all, but first we must renew our minds. Let’s recognize where we’re off, recognize where we need to be, then take action to change.