Let’s say you start sponsoring a needy girl in the Philippines. Awesome! You send a check every month, because you feel guilty that she doesn’t have as much as you do.
But then a few months later, your landlord raises your rent $50/month. Your budget was already razor thin, so you need to cut something. You look at your monthly expenses, and realize that you only have two choices: you can cut your cell phone data plan, or you can cut your monthly check for the kid in Zimbabwe.
It’s such a difficult decision. You don’t want to stop sending money to the Philippines, but you don’t want to stop watching Netflix on your lunch break. Then a solution hits you. “Maybe I’ll just stop sending the check for a few months. They won’t let her starve, right? When things get better, I’ll start sending money again.”
But then a few months becomes a few years. And then a few decades. Why? Because guilt is never a lasting motivation for compassion and generosity.
Paul described a completely different motivation behind the generosity of the poverty-stricken Macedonians when they sacrificially gave to the suffering saints in Jerusalem:
- We want you to know, brothers, 1about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. (2 Cor 8:1-2)
He didn’t say, “We want you to know how righteous and holy those saints in Macedonia are compared to you.” He said, “We want you to know that they’ve allowed God’s grace to fully envelope them. And that’s why they’re being so generous and compassionate.” He said it another way in Romans:
- Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. (Rom 15:26-27)
The Gentiles in Macedonia and Achaia had received so many of God’s spiritual blessings — so much of his grace through Jesus Christ — that they felt a debt of gratitude. An internal obligation to imitate God by giving material blessings to others. They owed their material blessings to other people because they had received so many spiritual blessings through Christ.
That’s gospel motivation.
Unfortunately, it’s usually a different motivation that drives our compassion and generosity:
- Many Christians give because they feel guilty, like the child-sponsoring donor who sends money abroad. “I have so much stuff, and those people don’t have anything, so I’ll feel guilty if I keep it all.”
- Other Christians are generous because it’s their duty. “The Bible says Christians should be generous, and I’m a Christian, so I guess I have to be generous.”
- Some Christians are generous because that want to have a reputation for generosity. “I’d really like to be noticed, and if I give my money or time in just the right way, it’s guaranteed.”
- Other Christians are generous because they want to practice self-denial. … They feel like we’re not really holy unless we’re really miserable, so we need to give up anything that gives us any bit of happiness. “Will it make me more miserable? Perfect! Then that’s what I want to do!”
But the Macedonians were motivated to show compassion and generosity by the gospel. In fact, Paul says in 2 Corinthians that they were begging earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints. If Jesus was so generous to them, how could they think of being anything else but generous to the people around them?
Other motivations never last. But if you have gospel motivation, you’ll always have new reasons to pass along the grace and generosity of God. His mercies are new every morning! You’ll always see more ways he’s forgiven you. You’ll always see new ways he’s provided for you. You’ll always see new ways he’s empowered and equipped you.
And so you’ll always have more to pass along.