"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."
In the world of Christian fundraising, which often follows a secular model, those seeking resources tend toward one of two extremes: the relational fundraiser or the transactional fundraiser.
While the relational fundraiser are primarily concerned with being friends or "buddies" with the donor, transactional fundraisers focus solely on the "gifts" and moving on to their next "prospect".
Both extremes have their downsides: one avoids the financial issues entirely; the other misses the relational connection. How about a new perspective: financial discipleship.
If askers will take the discipleship of givers seriously, they will intentionally build relationships to address specific, spiritually significant financial issues in givers' lives.
Specializing in financial discipleship allows us to focus on one area, eliminating the burden some of us feel to be the "everything" pastor. Plus, stewardship of financial resources is plenty to concentrate on - we never master it anyway.
In this passage Paul presents two prohibitions and four exhortations:
Prohibitions:
- Do not be arrogant
- Do not put your hope in wealth
Exhortations:
- Believers should put their hope in God
- Do good
- Be rich in good deeds
- Be generous and willing to share
All of this is designed to help the giver to be "blessed to be a blessing". In this way the giver realizes that they have more than they need and are in position to benefit others.
If we approach or work this way, we will be rendering valuable service both to the school and to the giver.
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