Paul, wanting and needing monetary support for his mission work, didn’t make any demands for it, didn’t indicate that everyone should give him a percentage of their money as a tithe, but rather, he exhorted his audience to give as they saw fit. “Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7 RSV). While we could discuss the implications on Paul’s words in relation to tithing, what he said applies far more than with giving money to the church. It presents a vision of action, where everyone, especially Christians, are to be encouraged to do what is good and true, and then left to follow what their conscience determines that means. Everyone is meant to follow their conscience, not some external force. God wants a cheerful giver, one who truly gives of themselves because they want to do as they do, not because they feel obliged to do so. Everyone should be free to follow their conscience, to do the good which they feel they should do. This does not mean society cannot and should not have guidelines to follow, but it means, beyond the basic dictates of justice, people should be free to determine what it is they will do, for that will make the good they do will be greater than if they were compelled to do it by someone else.
This can be understood as one of the reasons why God has given us free will. When we act out of our own will rather than by being forced to act in a certain way, what is accomplished is greater than what would be done if we acted out of some sort of mechanical necessity. This is especially true when what is done is done out of love, for that love is itself a good, and when added to any other good, produces a greater good than what would have been done without such love. That is, when loved is added to what we do, what we do becomes better than what it would be without such love, and love is not love if it is not established and given freely. But yet, God, in giving us free will, has also given us what we need in order to make the best decisions for ourselves, and then gives us the opportunity to follow those decisions or not.
“And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8 RSV). God, through grace, provides us the opportunity and means to engage good works, but then God leaves it up to us to do as we should choose. The more we act and follow our conscience in its dictates, the more good we will sow, as it were, into the world, leading to more and more blessings in our lives. “You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God” (2 Cor. 8:11: RSV).
Therefore, we should take the grace given to us, engage it, trusting that God will help it grow and become something better. If we do, we shall find an abundance of blessings and grace in our lives. This was the point which Jesus wanted to make with Simon Peter, when he told Peter to cast out his net into the water:
Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking (Lk. 5:3-6 RSV)
While some could read into a promise of material gain if we but follow Christ, that was not the point which Jesus was making. For we are not promised any and all material goods, like money, that we should want if we follow him Rather, Jesus was intending to show to Peter that he will be casting spiritual nets into the world, preaching the gospel of Christ, and by doing so, bringing a multitude of people to faith in Christ. Peter, likewise, will then receive all kinds of spiritual blessings, all kinds of spiritual gains, by following Christ in this way:
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men” (Lk. 5:8-10 RSV).
We should also cast out our nets into the world, trusting in the Lord to bring in a great abundance of blessings if we but willingly follow our conscience and do what it suggests. True, justice matters, and so at times we can be and should be compelled to do or not do certain things which are necessary for the common good. But beyond them, there is a great variety of good which we can do, and it is up to us to determine which of them we should engage. Each good we do in this fashion, each good which we do out of the goodness of our hearts, is not only a good which helps us, but can be seen as a gift we give back to God, because by embracing such good, we show that we have accepted and embraced the love and grace God has given us. This allows us to truly become the kind of giver which God wants – for then, what is given is given out of love, and as a result the bond of love grows, allowing for greater and greater love, with greater and greater gifts given and received between lover and beloved, God and us.
Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook.
If you liked what you read, please consider sharing it with your friends and family!
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In