Givers 

Common Excuses for Not Giving to the Lord’s Work

Everybody likes the idea of generosity. But when it comes down to writing the check, there always seems to be so many extenuating circumstances. We have insufficient savings. We do not agree with the church’s spending priorities. The tithe does not apply to us today. Are there any good answers to these common objections? We think so. See below for our answers.

Principle

• The Bible is about religious and moral issues, and not about money at all, let alone charitable giving.
• The tithe does not apply to Christians today, only to Old Testament Israel.
• Christians are under grace, not under law, so the obligation to give does not apply to me.
• Tithing is a form of legalism, which Jesus and Paul condemned. So I should avoid it.
• The Bible says that each man should give what he has decided in his own heart to give. So I am free to give as much or as little as I choose, even not at all.
• God loves a cheerful giver, but I am not cheerful about giving. So better not to give at all.
• High return on investment is essential to good stewardship, and giving would chip away at my investments.
• Saving up for the future is essential to good stewardship, and giving would endanger my savings.
• Avoiding excessive tax burden is essential to good stewardship, and giving would subject me to tax liability.
• If I were to give to the church, it would only contribute further to the greed and corruption among church leaders.
• I would like to give. But my spouse disagrees, and I need to respect that.
• I don’t have the spiritual gift of giving.
• There’s a good chance my donation would be misappropriated or wasted.
• My donation will only encourage the poor to rely on handouts, rather than earn a living for themselves.
• God doesn’t need my money.
• The church doesn’t need my money.
  

Self-Protection

• It’s my money. I earned it.
• My giving is between God and me, no one else.
• I have more than I need. But I am not prepared to live like a pauper.
• I have spent a lifetime securing my financial independence. I can’t throw it all away now.
• If I were to give, I would have to work another job or drastically cut back my expenses. I would like to give, but I just cannot.
• I am up to my ears in debt. I cannot give now.
• We would give, but we are a young couple with no nest egg.
• We would like to give. But we are only a few years from retirement, paying for two kids in college, and have very little saved.
• Next year I have a promotion coming. We will give then, but right now the budget is pretty tight.
• I am a teenager with no earned income, only an allowance from my parents. I will start giving when I am an adult with a real job.
• I am a college student living on income from odd jobs, gifts from my parents, and student loans. I will start giving when I am out of school with my own income.
• I am a graduate student with extensive student loans, making ends meet with a part time salary. I will start giving after I get outand establish some financial stability.
• I am in the lower or middle income bracket. Giving is really the responsibility of wealthy people.
  

Self-Justification

• I am already a generous person.
• I already tithe. Isn’t that what God wants? I don’t need to give more.
• I already tithe out of my paycheck. I can’t afford to tithe out of my gross income.
• I already tithe out of my gross income, but not my entire net worth. My investments are my safeguard.
• I already gave at the office.
• I don’t give to my church because I already give to another ministry.
• Stewardship is a lot more than money. I give my time and talents by teaching Sunday school and opening my home. I consider that to be my giving.
• I've already given more than enough in the form of taxes.

Principle

1. The Bible is about religious and moral issues, and not about money at all, let alone charitable giving.
It is a common idea that the Bible has only to do with so-called religious matters, e.g., church attendance, individual conversion, and personal piety. But this is a misunderstanding, probably derived more from cultural hearsay than from careful reading of the Bible itself. Really, it would be fairer to say that the Bible is about everything. The Bible covers the waterfront of human life because the gospel of God’s redemption covers the waterfront of human life. In the words of Scripture, God is reconciling all things to Himself through Christ (Colossians 1:20). “All things” certainly includes money and material possessions, so it is no surprise to find that the Bible speaks plainly and frequently about these things. There are philosophies that separate reality into “spiritual” and “material” spheres, but Christianity is not one of them. In the Bible, all of life (including the use of money) is spiritual because God is involved in it. When we take the time to read the Bible carefully, we find that it has much more to say to us than we may have realized, not least of all about our giving.

2. The tithe does not apply to Christians today, only to Old Testament Israel.
It is interesting that the tithe is so important a part of the Old Testament but is rarely mentioned in the New Testament. From this fact, some have concluded that God no longer requires or expects 10 percent giving from his people. But the scarce mention of the tithe in the New Testament is evidence not that God expects less of us today but that he envisions far more. Because Jesus has accomplished our redemption and the age of the Spirit has come, so the New Testament logic goes, appealing to the tithe laws is unnecessary. The New Testament nowhere commands 10 percent giving, but John the Baptist raises the bar to 50 percent (Luke 3:11), and Jesus exhorts us to give 100 percent (Luke 21:1-4). When Paul writes that “each man must give what he has decided in his own heart,” he is not giving us license to be stingy, but urging us to freely give anything up to 100 percent. No, the tithe does not apply to us in the same way that it did in the Old Testament; it is only the starting blocks for a much more extravagant New Testament generosity.

3. Christians are under grace, not under law, so the obligation to give does not apply to me.
The law/grace distinction in scripture is often misused, partly because the teaching is difficult to understand, but also because we sinners tend to seek out ways to dodge obedience. It is certainly true that Christians are under the principle of grace, not the principle of law. In other words, we attain righteousness not by behaving in the right way, but by trusting God for his salvation (Galatians 3:11). But this is not to say that we ought not to behave in the right way. The fact that we are saved by grace does not make adultery, for example, an acceptable practice. The law—God’s will for how we ought to live—is still a perfect standard and guide for us (Romans 7:12). But grace—God’s gift to us—makes obedience a possibility and a reality. Grace is not only forgiveness for past sins (although it certainly includes that), but also empowerment for future obedience. Grace does not mean that God does not expect us to give generously; it means that he will give us the strength to do it and the reward for doing it.

4. Tithing is a form of legalism, which Jesus and Paul condemned. So I should avoid it.
It is certainly true that Jesus and Paul (along with the other biblical authors) condemn legalism very harshly (Matthew 23, Galatians 3). But is tithing really just a form of legalism? Legalism is trusting in one’s own good works to attain righteousness before God. Gospel, on the other hand, is trusting in God’s work to attain righteousness. In other words, it is good to pursue righteousness, but you must do it in the right way—by gospel, not by legalism (Galatians 3:3). So, is tithing just a form of legalism? Not at all. Tithing is simply an act of obedience to God. Done in the right way—trusting in God for strength—it is a beautiful act. Done in the wrong way—trusting in oneself for righteousness—it is an ugly and arrogant act. Legalism lies not in the act of giving, but inside our own hearts.

5. The Bible says that each man should give what he has decided in his own heart to give. So I am free to give as much or as little as I choose, even not at all.
It is true that the apostle Paul says, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion” (2 Corinthians 9:7). We might think, then, that the apostle is giving us liberty to be as selfish as we like. But curiously, this verse is situated in the middle of a passage urging Christians to give generously (vv 6-15). How can this be? Paul’s point is not to give license for selfishness, but to cultivate a love of generosity within his listeners. He does not want to “hold their hands” through the giving process. Rather, he wants them to feel free, creative and excited to give far beyond the ten percent benchmark. Because Jesus has accomplished our redemption and the age of the Spirit has come, Paul’s logic goes, appealing to the tithe laws is unnecessary. Yes, this is a sort of freedom unfamiliar to the Old Testament Jews. But it is a freedom to excel in good deeds, not a freedom to sin.

6. God loves a cheerful giver, but I am not cheerful about giving. So better not to give at all.
God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7), but this is not to say that we should wait to give until we feel particularly cheerful about it. As with so many areas of the Christian life, obedience in giving can be hard work. The joy might only come during or after the act of obedience. But the same God who loves the cheerful giver (v. 7) promises to give us the grace we need to give cheerfully (v. 8). He gave us the gift of His Son; surely we can count on Him for this as well. We should all aspire to joyful giving. But the best way to cultivate joyful giving is to ask for the Lord’s help and start giving.

7. High return on investment is essential to good stewardship, and giving would chip away at my investments.
See below.

8. Saving up for the future is essential to good stewardship, and giving would endanger my savings.
See below.

9. Avoiding excessive tax burden is essential to good stewardship, and giving would subject me to tax liability.
These three objections share a common theme. God does indeed want us to be good stewards (Luke 16:10-12). And good stewardship does include high return on investment (Luke 19:12-27), saving for the future (Proverbs 6:6-8), and the prudent payment of taxes (Matthew 22:21). But even more than any of these things, godly stewardship involves generosity. In the words of Jesus, God has given us the kingdom, and the fitting response is to not be afraid but to give to the poor and so lay up our treasure in heaven (Luke 12:32-34). The desires to compound, save, and avoid tax burden, although legitimate, do not undo our obligation to give to the Lord. God is fully aware of the state of our bank balances, and He summons us to give generously all the same. It is both wrong and unnecessary to set the different components of godly stewardship against one another.

10. If I were to give to the church, it would only contribute further to the greed and corruption among church leaders.
It is of course true that greed and corruption are entirely inappropriate among church leadership. But does our giving really foster these evils? For one thing, biblically speaking, we don’t give to the church; we give to the Lord. Now, it is true that the normal means of giving to the Lord is through His church. But as long as we think of our giving as mere “membership dues” paid to the church, we miss the point completely. Second, it is not our place to impugn the motives of the pastor or other church leaders. We should beware of issuing condemnations, lest we be judged in the same way (Matthew 7:1-2). In addition, the elders of the church are worthy of double honor (1 Timothy 5:17), so a critical attitude toward them is doubly inappropriate. Third, if a Christian is truly concerned that his church leaders are living in willful sin, then the thing to do is to approach them about it through biblical channels to seek their repentance (Matthew 18:15-20), rather than just angrily withdrawing one’s gifts. The question we must ask ourselves is: Do my church leaders need to repent of their greed (which is possible), or do I need to repent of my own attitude toward them (which is also possible)?

11. I would like to give. But my spouse disagrees, and I need to respect that.
Both giving and marital unity are important biblical values, so this is a difficult situation, but not an impossible one. The marriage relationship is like the relationship between Christ and his church (Ephesians 5:22-33). Christ is the model husband who lays down His life for His bride, and His purpose in all this is to make us holy (v. 26). In a similar way husbands and wives should work hard to move each other toward holiness. Keeping the peace is important, but God desires obedience as well. It might take a lot of prayer and patience before husband and wife are able to give joyfully as a couple. But just as with so many difficult parts of marriage, God is more than able to bring spouses to agreement on this. A Christian should certainly not resolve to go on giving in spite of his spouse’s disapproval, but neither should he give up trying and make an excuse of his spouse’s current opinion. Rather, husband and wife should make it a high (and by God’s grace, attainable) priority to achieve joint obedience in this matter.

12. I don't have the spiritual gift of giving.
This is a thoughtful objection. It is true that God gives different spiritual gifts to different people (Romans 12:6), so that some are better at certain things than others; and it is true that giving is one of these spiritual gifts (Romans 12:8). But it does not follow from this that those who do not have the gift of giving are therefore exempt from the responsibility of giving. Yes, some Christians are better at giving than others, but we are all alike called to give generously to the Lord (2 Corinthians 8:7) because we have all received His generosity in Christ (2 Corinthians 8:9). It is the same with other spiritual gifts. We do not all have the gift of evangelism, but we should all be active in sharing our faith (1 Peter 3:15). We should excel in the areas where we have spiritual gifts, but we should be faithful even in the areas where we don’t.

13. There’s a good chance my donation would be misappropriated or wasted.
Misappropriation of gifts is possible, but it does not excuse us from the Christian responsibility of giving. In fact, statistically, the chances of gifts being mishandled are actually quite low. If a donor gives to a ministry that has appropriate financial accountability structures in place, he can have great confidence that his donation will go to the right place. But if even a gift were to be misappropriated, it is the goodwill of the giver, not the faithfulness of the recipient, that makes the gift worthwhile. In fact, Jesus tells us to give even to people whose intentions we know are unethical (Luke 6:27-36). How can this be? The answer is: We give because the gospel is true, not because we have perfect assurance of proper financial management.

14. My donation will only encourage the poor to rely on handouts, rather than earn a living for themselves.
Debilitating dependence on handouts is a possibility, but it is not a reason to avoid the Christian responsibility to give. It is true that God does not approve of idleness on the part of the poor. It was the apostle Paul who wrote to certain idlers at the church in Thessalonica, “If a man shall not work, he shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Elsewhere, Paul writes to converted thieves that they should work so that they can have something to give to others (Ephesians 4:28). But rebuking the idle is God’s business, not ours. For our part, God tells us to give generously to the poor (Luke 12:33), period. We are not to sit in judgment over them (James 4:11), especially not in such a way as to keep our money to ourselves. God was generous toward us when we were utterly dependent on Him. Surely we can treat others similarly.

15. God doesn’t need my money.
This is a good point; God doesn’t need our money. In the Scriptures He says, “I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. ... If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it” (Psalm 50:9-12). Indeed, those of us who are the most enthusiastic about giving do well to remember this fact. But to say that God doesn’t need our money is not to say that we shouldn’t give. He doesn’t need our money, but He does want it—not for its own sake, but as a token of our total commitment to Him in response to what He has suffered for us (Matthew 6:21). And as it turns out, giving to God is actually in our own best interest. We should give to God not because He needs it, but because we need it (Philippians 4:17).

16. The church doesn’t need my money.
Well, yes and no. Insofar as God sovereignly builds His church and will never let it expire (Matthew 16:18), no, the church does not need our money. But insofar as God’s normal means of providing for His church is through the gifts of the people (2 Corinthians 9:11), yes, the church does need our money. In other words, the fact that God provides for the church should make us more, not less, eager to give. If we really have been changed by the gospel, then we will consider it a privilege to participate with our Lord in the work of His church.

Self-Protection

1. It’s my money. I earned it.
It is a common idea (especially in America) that a person has absolute authority over his own stuff. But the reality is very different. The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it (Psalm 24:1). Whatever we have has come from the Lord’s hand, and only indirectly by our earning (1 Chronicles 29:14). Our wealth belongs to us in the same way that a child’s bedroom belongs to the child. The room actually belongs to the parent, but the child is given temporary, accountable charge over it. This is even more so for Christians, who have been bought at the price of Jesus’ death (1 Corinthians 5:20). Our lives and all our stuff is utterly at the disposal of the God who bought us.

2. My giving is between God and me, no one else.
In our culture, a man’s checkbook is no one’s business but his own. In a similar way, many Christians say that their giving is a private matter, information to which only God is privy. They point to Jesus’ admonition in Matthew 6: “[W]hen you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” But Jesus' words here have to do with our inner motives for giving (to please God rather than men), not a privilege of privacy. Any time you find yourself insisting that some part of your spiritual life is nobody else’s business, it may be a warning sign that you are trying to hide something. We should keep in mind that the Lord Jesus gave His life not primarily to secure a private relationship with each of us, but to make for Himself a church of people consecrated to Him (Ephesians 5:25). And this church shares a mutual responsibility for the spiritual growth of its members (Galatians 6:1-5), including our use of money. This means that Christians should be honest and accountable with each other about how we handle God’s money. So my giving is actually between God, me, and my Christian brothers and sisters.

3. I have more than I need. But I am not prepared to live like a pauper.
Many people have thought it unfair that needy people might actually end up pretty well off, while donors find themselves hard-pressed as a consequence of giving. In fact, the apostle Paul once encountered this very objection from some hesitant would-be givers. He answered thus: “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard-pressed, but that there might be equality” (2 Corinthians 8:13). Paul knew that people who have been changed by the gospel want to see economic equality. They consider others more important than themselves (Philippians 2:3), so they do not sit by and watch others suffer while they have plenty. No one is demanding that we all live like paupers, although we might well choose to. But if we have excess, it is because God has put it in our hands so that we could help others (James 5:1-6). We should give, not so that anyone (donor or recipient) is forced into poverty, but so that there might be equality.

4. I have spent a lifetime securing my financial independence. I can’t throw it all away now.
Financial independence is an important goal for many Americans, and for some good reasons. It is indeed preferable to a debilitating dependence on family or government handouts or on dishonest gain. But financial independence is only a secondary goal in the Bible. The apostle Paul instructs thieves to stop stealing and work with their own hands (i.e., to gain financial independence). But, says Paul, they should work not to store up for themselves, but in order to have money to share with people in need (Ephesians 4:28). Financial independence is worthwhile, but the whole point of it is to be able to give. When we give, we make ourselves financially dependent on God to take care of us. He gave us His own Son, the Bible argues, so we can certainly count on Him to give us whatever else we need (Romans 8:32). So ironically, the ultimate goal is not independence after all, but dependence on God.

5. If I were to give, I would have to work another job or drastically cut back my expenses. I would like to give, but I just cannot.
Many people say that they cannot give. But in fact, what most really mean is they cannot give comfortably, that to give would mean a reduction in standard of living, which seems unfair or unreasonable. But this is exactly what the Bible invites us to do. The Bible’s greatest example for us of generosity is the Lord Jesus Himself, who made Himself unimaginably poor in order to make us rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). Christian giving is nothing other than a sacrifice of personal comfort for the sake of the kingdom of God. We should think it altogether fair and reasonable both to labor (Ephesians 4:28) and to scale down our standards of living (Luke 21:4) in order to give. And for those who choose to do so, it turns out to be not a burden but a joy.

6. I am up to my ears in debt. I cannot give now.
The Christian in debt has an obligation, not only to his creditors but also to God, to pay off his debts and, what is more, to stay out of debt in the future (Roman 13:8). But the responsibility to pay off debts does not cancel out the responsibility to give to the Lord. Specifically, the Bible tells us to give to the Lord from our “firstfruits,” that is, the first and best of our income (Proverbs 3:9). As Larry Burkett has said, the first check we write belongs to the Lord and no one else, not even a creditor. Perhaps it sounds harsh, but in fact, giving like this turns out to be in our own best interest. We refrain from giving because it feels financially insecure. But in fact, God promises that giving to Him is the most secure financial move one can make. If He gave up His own Son for us, surely we can count on Him to give us all things (Romans 8:32). For those who give, He will provide all they need at all times, even making them rich so that they can keep on giving (2 Corinthians 9:8-11). We should make it a high and immediate priority to pay off our debts, but we should also give whatever we can in the meanwhile.

7. We would give, but we are a young couple with no nest egg.
See below.

8. We would like to give. But we are only a few years from retirement, paying for two kids in college, and have very little saved.
See below.

9. Next year I have a promotion coming. We will give then, but right now the budget is pretty tight.
Isn’t it interesting that, at every stage in life, there are appealing reasons not to give? Aren’t budgets always tight? This is a given in a world of economic scarcity and human sin. To be sure, early married life, late middle age, and career transition are all periods of relative economic vulnerability. And yet, Scripture nowhere exempts the economically vulnerable from generosity. In fact, ironically, many biblical examples of generous givers are poor people (Luke 21:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:1-2). Jesus tells us not to be afraid for our well-being. God has been pleased to give us the kingdom, and the fitting response is to put fear aside and lay up our treasure in heaven by giving to the poor (Luke 12:32-34). God knows what we need, and He promises to provide it (Matthew 6:32). If God is inviting you to give, however vulnerable you might feel, you need not fear for your security. But if you are waiting to give until you feel financially secure enough, that time likely will never come. Ironically, God assures us that giving is the most financially secure move we can make. But the experience of His provision comes only after the act of giving (2 Corinthians 9:6-11). That is how faith works. We may test God in this; He invites us to (Malachi 3:10).

10. I am a teenager with no earned income, only an allowance from my parents. I will start giving when I am an adult with a real job.
See below.

11. I am a college student living on income from odd jobs, gifts from my parents, and student loans. I will start giving when I am out of school with my own income.
See below.

12. I am a graduate student with extensive student loans, making ends meet with a part time salary. I will start giving after I get out and establish some financial stability.
All three of these arguments are understandable. (1) American teenagers occupy a strange position between financial childhood and adulthood, owning nothing but spending a great deal. (2) College is a notoriously difficult financial time for students and their families, as many students are almost completely dependent on loans, earning no income but acquiring large debts. (3) Graduate students, likewise, face heavy financial burdens with only part time income and the prospect of future stability. If anyone can be exempt from giving, we might think, it would be these groups. After all, a person who does not have anything cannot be expected to give anything. But the Bible teaches that giving is the privilege and responsibility of all God’s children, regardless of age or income. In fact, ironically, many biblical examples of generous givers are people who have next to nothing (Luke 21:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:1-2). How can this be? It is because these people were changed by God’s gospel of redemption in Jesus. They knew that God had been pleased to give them the kingdom, and as a result, they were not afraid to give away what little they had in order to store their treasures in heaven (Luke 12:32-34). Granted it may be difficult, but Christian students should try to make giving to the Lord a priority in their lives. Do you receive an allowance? Do you work odd jobs or a part-time position? Take what little income you have, and begin to give to the Lord from that. At every stage in life, we will find reasons to postpone giving until later (car payments, house mortgage, kids’ tuition, etc.). The best possible thing one can do is to start cultivating the practice early. And though it sounds hard to believe, God says that giving is the most financially secure move we can make (2 Corinthians 9:8), because He Himself will provide for our needs in the meanwhile.

13. I am in the lower or middle income bracket. Giving is really the responsibility of wealthy people.
It may be only in the modern West, which has seen an accumulation of wealth unparalleled in world history, that we have the idea that only wealthy people can or should be generous. Ironically, many biblical examples of generous givers are very poor people (Luke 21:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:1-6). How can this be? It is because these people were changed by God’s gospel of redemption in Jesus. They knew that God had been pleased to give them the kingdom, and as a result, they were not afraid to give away what little they had in order to store their treasures in heaven (Luke 12:32-34). In Scripture, giving is the responsibility of Christians, period. The high-dollar philanthropy industry is one manifestation of generosity, but just as significant are the sacrificial gifts of regular, low or middle income believers. All Christians can aspire to the kind of generosity that Jesus and the apostles praise.

Self-Justification

1. I am already a generous person.
Many of us feel that we are already quite generous, compared to other people we know. But we should pause to ask: What is the Bible’s standard for generosity? The Old Testament establishes the tithe system—one tenth of gross income. If we are honest, we will admit that most of us fail even this meager standard. In the New Testament, Jesus’ one chosen example of generosity is a poverty-stricken widow who gives her last two pennies (Mark 12:41-44), 100 percent of all she owned. Even more striking, the apostle Paul points to the example of the Lord Jesus Himself, who subjected Himself to the most terrible poverty in order to enrich us (2 Corinthians 8:9). Do we give a fraction of our wealth? We should think carefully before calling ourselves generous.

2. I already tithe. Isn’t that what God wants? I don’t need to give more.
The Old Testament clearly sets forth a system of tithes (10 percent offerings) as God’s standard for giving. For this reason, some Christians conclude that by giving 10 percent, they fulfill God’s requirement and are absolved of any further responsibility. But interestingly, the tithe is mentioned only rarely in the New Testament, not because God expects less from us, but because He envisions far more. Because Jesus has accomplished our redemption and the age of the Spirit has come, so the New Testament logic goes, appealing to the tithe laws is unnecessary. The giving levels commanded in the New Testament are much more radical: 50 percent (John the Baptist), 100 percent (Jesus), and “whatever a man purposes in his heart to give” (Paul). We New Testament believers have more of revelation and of the Holy Spirit than the Old Testament believers did, and so God very reasonably expects greater things from us. Tithing is good, but we should think of the tithe as the “training wheels” for a career of ever-growing Christian giving.

3. I already tithe out of my paycheck. I can’t afford to tithe out of my gross income.
Tithing from net (post-tax) rather than gross (pre-tax) income is a common practice among American Christians. And for this reason, the transition to giving out of one’s gross income is uncomfortable, even radical. A tithe on net income is appealing because it allows us to feel generous while still hanging on to the first and best part. But God summons us to much more than this. The Bible tells us to give to the Lord from our firstfruits, that is, the first and best of our income (Proverbs 3:9). In other words, God does not deserve “leftovers.” Being God, He is intrinsically worth the very best we have to offer. And what is more, He has given us His very best—His own Son. In light of these things, giving Him just a fraction of net income seems incongruous. And in fact, pretty much all Christians can afford to tithe from their gross income; it’s just that to do so might mean a sacrifice in lifestyle. But that is the whole point: Christians are people who volunteer to live on their own “leftovers,” so that they can give the first and best to God. Admittedly, this is a hard step for many of us. But God is able to make us able, willing, and even excited to take it.

4. I already tithe out of my gross income, but not my entire net worth. My investments are my safeguard.
For many people, tithing on income is a challenge, even a sacrifice. But for people with substantial net worth in investments, to tithe on income is easy; no sacrifice is required. For such people, to be generous in the way that Jesus commends (Luke 21:1-4) will likely mean giving out of their accumulated wealth. A helpful biblical example is King David (1 Chronicles 29), who gave great amounts to build God’s temple, not only from his official stipend, but also from his massive personal fortune. The question to ask oneself is: Considering all God has done for me, what sort of gift is appropriate? The biblical answer is: an extravagant one. So what will it take for you to give extravagantly? If it means giving out of your net worth, that’s OK. Large as such a gift may be, it pales in comparison to God’s gift of his own Son. If we feel the need to ‘protect’ our investments from the Lord, it is likely that our hearts are committed to them, rather than to Him (Matthew 5:21). We should let our income tithes become a springboard into generosity with all our wealth.

5. I already gave at the office.
This particular saying has become something of an American institution. In one way, the saying is evidence of a high point in the American experience, that we have a tradition of charitable giving, even at the workplace. On the other hand, the same saying has become a shorthand way of saying “no” to giving opportunities. And while it might be an effective maneuver for rebuffing Salvation Army volunteers, it is certainly no proper answer before God. He is no charity case. He gave His own Son to save us from eternal death. How could we possibly say to him, “Sorry, I already gave”? After all, God sees what we do and think in secret (Matthew 6:4). He is perfectly able to distinguish giving loose change to appease an annoying fund raiser from true Christian generosity. It is finally God Himself, and not any fund raiser, with whom we have to do.

6. I don’t give to my church because I already give to another ministry.
It is of course great to give to Christian ministries of all sorts. But a ministry, wonderful as it might be, is not a church. The church is Christ’s bride, for whom He gave His life (Ephesians 5:25). Ministries do noble Christian work, but they do not have the biblical authority or range of responsibilities that belong to the institutional church (Matthew 16:17-19). What is more, God has specifically instituted deacons in the church for the administration of Christian offerings (Acts 6:1-6). Being God’s unique institution, the church is the first and worthiest recipient of Christian giving. A good rule of thumb is that our tithes should go to the church and not to any ministry. Beyond that, we should feel free to give to the church or to any worthy Christian ministry. But the institutional church has a very special place in God’s economy, and we acknowledge this by giving there first of all.

7. Stewardship is a lot more than money. I give my time and talents by teaching Sunday school and opening my home. I consider that to be my giving.
It is true that stewardship is a lot more than money, but it is never less than money. In fact, it would be fair to say that stewardship includes everything that we do in life. In this sense, all sin is poor stewardship, and the gospel restores us to good stewardship in all of life. So good stewardship includes things like church work and hospitality, but to withhold one’s money (even while doing these other good things) is to rob God (Malachi 3:8). Money plays a unique role in Scripture as a diagnostic tool for the human heart – where you put your money, there your heart will go (Matthew 6:21). If a Christian gives his time and talents to the Lord, but keeps his money to himself, then his heart is not with the Lord. By all means, we should practice service and hospitality, but we should take care not to withhold our money from the Lord.

8. I've already given more than enough in the form of taxes.
This objection is understandable, but mistaken. It may be that we pay a lot in taxes. It may even be that we are taxed unjustly, in which case we would have good reason to be angry. But it is a mistake to think that paying taxes and giving to God are equivalent. Taxes and offerings are two very different things; they have different purposes, different motivations and different recipients. We are obligated to pay taxes to the state for the maintenance of civil society (Romans 13:6), but we choose to give to God for the sake of His kingdom (Luke 12:32-34). In other words, we pay taxes to the state because we have to, but we give to the Lord because we want to. It is OK to object to an unjust tax burden, but we should not become bitter toward the authorities, and certainly not toward God. Rather, we should give generously to Him because we have personally experienced His grace (2 Corinthians 8:9).

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