Last week I was standing at the top of the driveway to our church surveying our little plot of land on Ridge Road. I looked at the trees we had planted and the sod we just laid down with the sprinkler system underneath happily spreading water over the grass. I looked at the concrete pad we poured last year on the West side of the church, and the beautiful flowers we have adorning the front of our building. Then my imagination took me. I started thinking about how our church has grown and what that means for our little plot of land. We have an old church that needs repairs and soon we will need an expansion. Praise God for blessing CRC with growth!
As I was considering all those things I remembered that last week's Lotto 6/49 jackpot was around 70 million dollars and I thought to myself, “Wouldn’t it be great if I would have that kind of money and be able to pay for everything we need with one check! If I were a rich man I could do so much good for the Lord!” Strangely, and completely out of the blue, those thoughts triggered the remembrance of a line from a musical, actually the movie version, I saw as a kid. By now you may guess what that was -- “If I were a rich man...” I had no idea that song was still rattling around in the deep, dark reaches of my brain matter, but there I was standing in the parking lot humming the tune, while walking around our parking lot. I was quite young when my parents showed my sister and I The Fiddler on the Roof and I don’t remember anything about the musical except for that song (how can you forget it) and the crazy, squatting, kicking dance that the cast seemed to perform for every song. But I digress.
I have often thought that “If I were a rich man” I would be generous in my giving. I have often thought that I “If I were a rich man,” I would see needs and do whatever I could do to meet them. I have often thought that “If I were a rich man,” I would send many missionaries out into the world, send many of our young people to Bible school or Seminary, and make sure that no one suffers from the lack of daily provisions in our church. At the moment I was thinking, “If I were a rich man, I would take care of all of our building needs all by myself! Repairs, expansion, whatever… put it on my tab!” Sounds good in my head, I’m always better in my head, but as I thought a little harder, I realized that “If I were a rich man,” I would probably not be as noble as I think I would be. “If I were a rich man” I think I would be very much like Tevye as he dreams of the glories of wealth and all that it would bring him. Here is some of what he sings:
If I were a rich man,
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
All day long I'd biddy biddy bum.
If I were a wealthy man.
I wouldn't have to work hard...
I'd build a big, tall house with rooms by the dozen, right in the middle of the town.
A fine tin roof with real wooden floors below. There would be one long staircase just going up, and one even longer coming down,
And one more leading nowhere, just for show.
I'd fill my yard with chicks and turkeys and geese and ducks for the town to see and hear.
Squawking just as noisily as they can.
With each loud “cheep” “squawk” “honk” “quack” Would land like a trumpet on the ear, as if to say, "Here lives a wealthy man."
The most important men in town would come to fawn on me!
They would ask me to advise them, Like a Solomon the Wise.
“If you please, Reb Tevye...” “Pardon me, Reb Tevye...”
Posing problems that would cross a rabbi's eyes!
And it won't make one bit of difference if I answer right or wrong.
When you're rich, they think you really know!
If I were rich, I'd have the time that I lack to sit in the synagogue and pray.
And maybe have a seat by the Eastern wall.
And I'd discuss the holy books with the learned men, several hours every day.
That would be the sweetest thing of all.
I don’t think I would fill my yard with chicks, turkeys, geese, ducks and the like, but I probably would build a big house in the country and more than likely fill my shop (I would build one of those too) with a nice man cave, a couple new cars, a couple of quads, a new motorcycle, and such. I probably would want people to “fawn on me” and treat me differently as well. And, if psychology and sociology tell us anything, my financial generosity would increase very little, if at all. In fact, that is the pattern, sadly, for the overwhelming majority of people, Christian and non-Christian alike. Generally speaking, if you increase a person's wealth - by an increase in salary, an inheritance, an unexpected gift - they will spend more on themselves rather than give more to God’s work.
I think I know why this is. Giving is a heart issue, not a wealth issue. Jesus states as much in Luke 21:1-4 when he observes the woman putting her last coins into the offering box. He praises her for her heart of giving and not for her amount. In turn, he criticizes the wealthy for their heart despite the immensity of their gifts. If I was rich, I would probably not be as generous as I would think myself to be because my heart is not where it should be. If our hearts are right, then we will honor God with our money and our giving will be worshipful. If our hearts are not right then we will not honor God with our money and if we do give, we will sin against the very God to whom we are giving our money. Giving is an act of worship and service to God from a heart that gives cheerfully to him (2 Corinthians 8-9). It recognizes that we are mere stewards of what God has given us. It recognizes that the grace we have received from God needs to be moved on to others. It recognizes that God is all-sufficient and takes care of all our needs. It recognizes what Paul says,
“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
Soli Deo Gloria