{"id":1670,"date":"2011-12-08T05:38:51","date_gmt":"2011-12-08T10:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/godonomics\/?p=1670"},"modified":"2011-12-06T09:00:49","modified_gmt":"2011-12-06T14:00:49","slug":"gracious-generosity-the-best-gift-this-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/2011\/12\/gracious-generosity-the-best-gift-this-christmas.html","title":{"rendered":"Gracious Generosity: The Best Gift this Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Ever feel like Christmas has become too commercialized?\u00a0 It\u2019s more about getting than giving?<\/p>\n

This is the second Christmas since Beth\u2019s grandmother passed away. \u00a0She was a woman of few words. \u00a0She served others to show her love. She grew up in Kentucky but loved her farm in Michigan. One day, a few months before she passed away, I got her to talk about what life in the early days in her small town in Michigan was like. \u00a0Her eyes lit up as she described her love for baseball. Her eyes lit up when I asked her about the Sears catalog. \u00a0\u00a0Not that she was a big spender, but she told me that many people would order from the Sears catalog, and how kids and grandkids would scour the catalog looking for the \u201cperfect\u201d Christmas gift. \u00a0She told me how the train would come through town to deliver gifts in the early days. She told me that you could order a house through the catalog and all the parts would come on the train. You may have seen a few of these in Terrace Park -even today. \u00a0I too remembered when the catalogs came. There was pages and pages of photos of He-man figures, Strawberry Shortcake, GI Joes, Star Wars, Cabbage Patch dolls, and Transformers. My brother, sister, and I spent hours circling what we wanted for Christmas. \u00a0My grandfather, was one of the most generous people I knew. \u00a0He worked long extra hours to try to buy everything on the list. He loved watching the kids eyes light up as they opened their gifts. Beth\u2019s grandma and my grandpa were Gracious Givers.<\/p>\n

Money can be a source of real joy or real pain.<\/p>\n

Often folks come in to meet with one of our pastors. We work as a team at Horizon. \u00a0Recently someone met with one of us and described his spiritual journey this way. He said, \u201cWe grew up Protestant, because we couldn\u2019t afford to be Catholic. That\u2019s what my mom used to say jokingly. She said that every time she went to mass, they kept passing the plate until they got enough money. We didn\u2019t have enough money and were tired of being pressured… so we became protestants.\u201d\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42 \u00a0\u00a0What I love about that story is it reminds me of ways in which all of us have felt guilty, manipulated, or pressured by the church for money. \u00a0We all have stories of churches, televangelists, priests, or pastors who pressured us to give. \u00a0\u00a0One of the reasons we do our offering in the foyer each week, is we want you to give generously and cheerfully, not under pressure as the bag goes by you. \u00a0\u00a0I am so excited about this mornings topic, because I have the opportunity to share the power of giving motivated by grace, not pressure and guilt.<\/p>\n

This morning we want to discover Gracious Giving. We all Wish to Be Graciously Generous People. \u00a0The problem is that we are often manipulated, coerced, or have been modeled types of giving that are not gracious. \u00a0So this morning, if we want to experience Gracious Giving, we must contrast Three Types of Ungracious Generosity with One Type of Gracious Giving.<\/p>\n

I. THREE TYPES OF UNGRACIOUS GIVING<\/span><\/p>\n

Each of the three types of Ungracious Giving can be categorized with a nostalgic toy. \u00a0MR MACHINE, THE COOTIE, and WOOLY WILLY.<\/p>\n

1. Mechanical Generosity<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you remember Mr. Machine?\u00a0 He was in the top 100 Baby Boomer Toys. This was a robotic contraption that had see through machinery. \u00a0Mr Machine was a mechanical monster who went through the motions. He presents one way to give ungraciously. One way to give is to give Mechanically like Mr. Machine. \u00a0Many of us give. But our giving has become mechanical. Five years ago we set up an auto debit and are still giving the same amount we always did. We never increased it as our income increased. \u00a0Or, we write a check annually to the United Way. We go to a fund raiser -ready to give what we gave last year. \u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s mechanical giving that doesn\u2019t flow from the heart. Sometimes it\u2019s motivated by muscle instinct if our parents taught us to give… Other times it\u2019s motivated by routine.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Paul writes to a group of people about a financial need in the church. \u00a0He tells them to \u201cprepare ahead of time…\u201d but to give as a matter of generosity, not grudging obligation. \u00a0\u00a0He doesn\u2019t want it to be a Mechanical process… And yet, he encourages them to \u201cmake plans\u201d to do it.<\/p>\n

2 Corinthians 9 5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mechanical Giving is a giver who doesn\u2019t give from their heart, but from going through the motions like Mr. machine. It feels very much like an obligation…. \u00a0\u00a0It can be mechanical and obligatory….<\/p>\n

The second type of ungracious giving is not mechanical giving up, dress up giving…<\/p>\n

2.<\/span>Dress-Up Generosity<\/span><\/span>
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Do you remember Wooly Willy. \u00a0This was another top 100 baby boomer gift. \u00a0\u00a0This was the guy with the metal shavings that would allow you to dress him up, give him a mustache, hair or a hat. \u00a0\u00a0Though he looked differently on the outside, \u00a0He never really changed. You only added stuff on top of his face to \u201clook like\u201d or dress him up like he was different. This is \u201cdress-up\u201d generosity. \u00a0You may not have your heart changed, but you dress yourself up to look generous.<\/p>\n

Paul says that real financial giving is not a dress up but a flow from the heart. \u00a0Giving tests the sincerity of your love.<\/p>\n

You want to address others, not impress others.<\/em><\/p>\n

That\u2019s a test of your motivation. Are you giving to \u201cimpress others\u201d or address others\u2019 needs?<\/p>\n

I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others… We would receive the gift\u2026 to the saints. They first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul says that giving is not dress up. It\u2019s not impress time. It\u2019s address time. A time to give gifts by FIRST giving yourself to the Lord. Then discerning how to give to His priorities. Including the church mentioned in this passage, and the needy. \u00a0It\u2019s about sincerity of love. It\u2019s about giving yourself First to God, then to others out of appreciation to God.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the difference between dress-up giving and gracious giving?\u00a0 One is selfishness dressed up to look like generosity.<\/p>\n

A friend of mine has been attending Horizon for about a year. He would call himself a skeptic or maybe explorer. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I interviewed him on stage at 2nd\/3rd service last January. He shared his doubts about faith and God stem from the hypocrisy of church people over the years and specifically folks who manipulated others out of money to live lavish lifestyles. \u00a0\u00a0However, he has been coming, listening, watching. \u00a0\u00a0He even decided to go on our Belize mission trip last year and is planning to go again this year. \u00a0We were at a lunch a few weeks ago and he shared some interesting “coincidences” that have him thinking about his doubts. \u00a0\u00a0As a boat lover who sold high-end racing boats for years, it was a big deal for him to go to Belize and miss the annual boat show he attended faithfully for 20 years, but he went. \u00a0\u00a0As a medical supply company he often has supplies in his bag. \u00a0He had several oxidation tools in his bag used to check a patients blood. \u00a0He pulled them all out of the bag.\u00a0 He even turned the bag upside down to dump them out. \u00a0\u00a0He filled his bag with toys and candy for the kids. \u00a0\u00a0As they arrive at the hospital in Belize, he realized that the hospital needed some Pulesox. The very thing he dumped out of his bag a week earlier. \u00a0\u00a0He reached into his bag to get a toy and sure enough… There was one medical tool in the bag. \u00a0He turned to me and said, “Chad, I don’t have an explanation for this…but I imagine you do. What I know FOR SURE, is that I emptied and dumped everything out of that bag that was medical.” \u00a0\u00a0What struck me when I was down in Belize last is seeing the impoverished people of Belize \u201craising money\u201d to help the people of Haiti who were hit by the Hurricane. \u00a0This was not Dress up Generosity. This was real and flowed from their heart.<\/p>\n

Godonomics is about liberty, prosperity, and generosity.<\/p>\n

To watch a free first session of Godonomics, visit:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.godonomics.com\/watch-session-1<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_ZhcRfl181c<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ever feel like Christmas has become too commercialized?\u00a0 It\u2019s more about getting than giving? This is the second Christmas since Beth\u2019s grandmother passed away. \u00a0She was a woman of few words. \u00a0She served others to show her love. She grew up in Kentucky but loved her farm in Michigan. One day, a few months before…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":353,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65,72,441,448,58],"tags":[502,501],"class_list":["post-1670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-generosity","category-gospel","category-gratitude-2","category-joy","category-liberty","tag-christmas-generosity","tag-joy-in-generosity"],"yoast_head":"\nGracious Generosity: The Best Gift this Christmas - Godonomics<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/2011\/12\/gracious-generosity-the-best-gift-this-christmas.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Gracious Generosity: The Best Gift this Christmas - Godonomics\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ever feel like Christmas has become too commercialized?\u00a0 It\u2019s more about getting than giving? 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He graduated from Moody Bible College in Chicago, majoring in pastoral ministry and communication. His love for ministry and creativity can be seen in many forms: leading teams, expository teaching, acting, and video production. He has served as pastor at two high-impact churches in Georgia: Cumberland Community Church and New Community Church. Chad received an M.A. in Ministry from Moody Graduate School in 2008. He loves volleyball, movies, and hanging out with his wife Beth and their three children.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.godonomics.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/author\/chadhovind"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/353"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1670"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1670\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1685,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1670\/revisions\/1685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}