Faith and Money

Agellius' comments on charitable giving got me thinking. One of the most common things people say when talking about charitable giving is, "When I have more money I will give more." The truth is that almost never happens. People who are poor givers don't become good givers when they suddenly start making more money. Somehow the spending grows and there is still very little left for charity. The reality is poor giving is not a financial problem. It is a spiritual problem. People who are poor givers can become good givers but it happens when their spiritual situation changes not when their financial situation changes.

We tend to look at giving backwards. We look at the church or some other charity and see that it needs to raise money. Then we try and motivate people to give so we can solve this problem. So we look at our big potential donors and we try and figure out what kind of pitch they will listen to. We can even twist the whole church out of shape to get people to give.

If we start with the giver rather than with the fund raiser we end up with a much better picture. There is the vice of greed and the virtue of generosity. That is the center. How much money ends up in the church's building fund is less important. We need to be free from the power money has over use. Jesus puts it a bit differently:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Mat 6:19-21

Jesus is saying money has power over you. Accept it. Money can make you love things. But then choose to use it to make yourself love the things of heaven. What is the most heavenly thing you can put you money into? The church. It is in some ways the most complete gift because you have no control over where the money will be spent. It might go to buildings, to parish or diocese staff, to the poor, to religious orders, to retirement homes for priests, etc. You are giving up any say over what happens to it.

You can give to a more focused charity. Many of them so good Christian work. Then you know exactly what kind of work your money will support. If you give to EWTN you are choosing a very different effect than if you give to Mary's Meals. Both are good but you are in control as to which good thing should be supported more. In some ways letting the church decide seems better but then there are good charities that don't get any church money. Religious orders, lay ministries, etc. The church has indicated we should support things like that so we need to make some choices.