The Cost of Giving (Part II)

Level Two Giving – Time

There is something more precious than money, at least in suburban America, our time. Many of us are blessed with good jobs or successful businesses; we have enough surplus to give God a portion of our wealth without feeling too much pain. However, in a world where a 50 hour work week is a pretty average for both husband and wife, a 10-12 hour weekly commute is normal, and the demands of home and family must be met no matter what the cost, what is left for the Lord?

Usually the first place we give of our time is on Sunday morning. Getting the family together, in the car, and off to church might take an hour or more. The church service itself will likely run one to one and a half hours. After a few minutes of chatting on the way out, the commute back home, and the unwind prior to fixing lunch, ½ the day is gone. That is actually a big investment for the harried, overworked white collar workers of Montgomery County. As a result, not many of them attend church on a regular basis. Churches provide other opportunities for their members to invest time in worship activities, small group meetings, choir practice, and weekend retreats to name but a few. Many churches provide opportunities to go beyond these normal activities and give time to others. The best examples are short term mission trips. Adult or youth groups are organized to travel to the third world or even an American slum to work for those less fortunate than themselves. For an overstressed office worker to donate a week of vacation time to serve as a construction worker in some unpleasant impoverished location far from his world is a gift indeed. There are other ways to give of our time.

In thinking about this section on the cost of giving, I concluded that writing this blog was also an example of giving time to the Lord. However, I began to argue with myself, “This isn’t really giving because I have learned so much over the last year. Writing this blog has really been of benefit to me.”

Then I heard a little witness in the spirit announce, “Bingo! Now, if you can just hold that thought.” Even secular authors understand that in an interconnected world we are ultimately rewarded for being generous. Seth Godin writes, “In the digital world, the gift I give you almost always benefits me more than it costs.” As we donate our time to God, we change the world.

Luke 6:38

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

But there is more, so much more.