A few years ago, I worked part-time at a bank as I was going through seminary, and there’s nothing quite like working at a bank to change your perspective about money. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the first time that I held $100,000 in cash in my hands. The first time you do it, it’s pretty cool, but the funny thing is that the second time you do it, it’s not quite the same rush, and then eventually it’s no big deal at all. It’s just another day at the office.
Actually, handling money all day is pretty gross. Most days my fingertips would be black by the end of the day because of all of the dirt and grime on the bills. Here’s something for you germ-o-phobes to think about: picture a five-dollar bill that’s been in circulation for ten years, and think about how many people have touched that piece of paper. And it’s probably never been washed either, because money only gets washed by accident, right? Now think about handling thousands of those pieces of paper every day. That’s kind of gross to think about.
At the bank I encountered people with all kinds of different perspectives about money. I encountered rich people who were greedy and who seemingly worshiped their money, and then I encountered poor people who were greedy and who seemingly worshiped their money. I encountered people who should have been rich who bounced several checks a week. I’ll never forget a doctor who banked with us who had to work a part-time job on the side because his wife and kids blew through his paycheck as soon as it came in. Then I encountered people who by all accounts should have been poor, but they had so much money that my boss told me to make sure and call them by name so they would feel special.
People get kind of funny around money, and we get particularly funny when we start to think about the matter of giving and receiving financial assistance from others. We have all kinds of unwritten social rules about how we’re supposed to approach a transaction like that, but what should our perspective on this matter be, from a biblical point of view? That is the question that we will answer from the book of Philippians today:
What should our attitude be toward giving and receiving financial assistance?
Let’s take a look at Philippians 4:15–23. Here Paul discusses the financial gift that the Philippians had sent to him while he was in prison, and he offers some helpful perspectives for us on this whole matter of financial assistance. Would you follow along with me as I read [READ 4:15–23]. We’re going to take a look today at three perspectives surrounding the matter of financial assistance—first, the recipient’s perspective, then the giver’s perspective, and finally the Lord’s perspective.
I. The recipient—Praise God for providing for you through His work in someone else’s life
In our society it seems that there is often a stigma attached to the idea of receiving financial help, and many people are resistant to receiving such help even when it may truly be beneficial for them. But I think Paul will help us see that such a stigma doesn’t need to exist. Look with me again at what he says in verse 17 [READ v. 17].
Paul offers a couple of helpful thoughts here. First, he reminds us that those who may have a financial need should not use that need simply as a way of getting money out of other people. He writes, “Not that I seek the gift itself.” To put it simply, Paul was reminding the Philippians that he wasn’t after their money. He didn’t treat their friendship as an ATM that he could simply hit up whenever he needed some extra money. In fact, the gifts from the Philippians were completely voluntary, and their friendship with Paul did not depend on these gifts, though the gifts did serve to enhance their friendship.
Elsewhere, Paul wrote that those who are able to provide for themselves should do so. At one point, the church in Thessalonica apparently had some members who were unwilling to work, but still expected the church to provide for them. In 2 Thess. 3:10–12, Paul writes this concerning the matter [READ 2 Thess. 3:10–12]. So the bottom line is this—if you have a financial need, you shouldn’t use it simply as a tool to leverage money out of other people.
However, I think Paul’s perspective also shows us that there is no reason to feel guilty about receiving financial help from other people when you have a legitimate need. Back in Phil. 4:17, Paul finishes his statement by saying, “but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.” Paul is using the metaphor of gaining interest to draw attention to the Philippians’ spiritual growth. What Paul is truly focusing on is God’s work in the life of another person, and we can see in the rest of the passage that their generosity was an act of service to God which really got Paul excited.
So as Paul considered this financial assistance that he received, he wasn’t so much focused on himself or the Philippians, but on the work of God to provide for him through someone else. I think this is a very helpful corrective for us, because often when we receive financial assistance from others, our thoughts are centered on ourselves. We struggle with questions like, “What will other people think of me?” or “How can I respect myself after this?” And sometimes we throw a little pity party when we really would be justified in having a praise party to glorify God for meeting our needs.
The reality is that the generosity of others is one of several means that God may choose at times to meet your needs. Oftentimes, God chooses to provide for us through the work that we do at our jobs, but that is still God’s provision! Let’s not give ourselves too much credit and think that we’re doing it all on our own. After all, who gives you the strength to do your job? God does. Who gives you the health to continue working? God does! Who controls the entire world economy to keep your company stays in business? God does! So even when our needs are met through our own work, we’re still just recipients of God’s generosity.
Occasionally, God may choose to provide for us through unexpected gifts. We can call this the “Beverly Hillbillies” method. You’ll remember how Jed Clampett unexpectedly became rich after “shooting at some food, and up from the ground came a-bubblin’ crude.” Sometimes God chooses to give us unexpected gifts like that. Sometimes He plants a wind farm on your land and allows you to make some income from it.
So whether God chooses to meet your needs through a job, the generosity of others, or an unexpected gift, the end result is the same—God has provided! That is what we need to focus on, and if He does choose to use the generosity of other people, we don’t need to feel ashamed; we can simply feel grateful, and praise God for His provision.
So that’s the perspective that the recipient of financial assistance should adopt. But what about the one who is giving financial assistance?
II. The giver—Have enough faith in God to be generous to those in need
In v. 19, Paul—under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit—gives a promise that has comforted many believers over the years. He says, [READ v. 19]. Now as Paul wrote those words, he may have had in the back of his mind a social custom of that time that was known as reciprocity. The idea behind reciprocity was this—if someone helped you out in a time of need, there was the social expectation that you would seek to do the same if they were ever in need. It wasn’t that there was an idea of indebtedness toward the other person; it was just simply the notion that a true friend should respond in kind when generosity was shown to them.
Now Paul’s situation, you might remember, was kind of up in the air. He was in prison awaiting trial before Caesar because of some false charges brought against him by enemies of the Gospel, and there was a real possibility that he might not make it out alive. So as he wrote this letter, he knew there was a possibility that he would never have an opportunity to show the Philippians the same generosity that they had shown him. But even though he might not be able to help with any future needs that they might have, he assures them that God will meet their needs. They had sacrificed to send Paul this financial gift, but they didn’t need to fear, because God would see to it that their needs would be met.
This is the perspective that we need to have when we have an opportunity to help someone else in need. Oftentimes, the thing that keeps us from being generous is worry about our own bottom line. Sometimes we even feel like we have some money that we could give today, but we’re hesitant to part with it because of fear about tomorrow. So we might find ourselves thinking, “Well, I could give this money today, but what if I have an unexpected bill that comes up? What if my car needs a new fuel pump tomorrow?” Then the fear of the future creeps in and chokes off our generosity.
But the promise of this verse frees us up to be generous because we can trust God to meet our needs. So we can help those around us who are in financial need without being afraid that our own needs will go unmet. Now notice that this verse does NOT say, “my God will supply you with a fleet of BMW’s.” The promise is that our needs will be met. And how does the Bible define our needs? Well, in 1 Timothy 6:8, Paul says that if we have food and covering, we should be content (“covering” probably refers to clothing and shelter). He doesn’t even include transportation there because that wasn’t really a need for the majority of people in that time. Most people lived on the land that they farmed, or if they had a trade, their shop was right there at home. Transportation is more of a need in our society because many of us have to drive to work, but there are many things that we’ve become accustomed to in our standard of living that really can’t be called “needs.”
We need to keep that in mind when we read this verse so that we don’t find ourselves expecting things from God that He has never promised to give us. What we can be sure of is that we can feel free to be generous without fear, because God will meet our needs until the day He calls us home.
And speaking of God, what is His perspective on this whole matter?
III. The Lord—Our Lord is pleased when we obey Him by being generous
In v. 18, Paul uses a metaphor comparing the Philippians financial gift to the sacrifices of the Old Testament. He writes, [READ v. 18]. In the Old Testament when the sacrifices were offered with the proper motives, they were said to be like a sweet fragrance to God. Many of us enjoyed a sweet fragrance over the last few days as the rains came through, and as you know when you smell an aroma that is pleasing to you, there’s a feeling of contentment or pleasure that comes over you.
That’s what our obedience in this area is like to God! When we are generous to others, its like we’re providing Him with a sweet fragrance, and He is greatly pleased by our actions. So even though it may seem like our money is just going to another person, the Lord views that act of obedience as an offering to Him, and He is pleased by it.
The Bible repeatedly talks about God’s concern for the poor and His desire that His people would look after their needs. In the Old Testament law God laid out specific commands that were designed to see to it that the community looked out for those among them who had needs. The book of Proverbs also says much about this matter. Proverbs 19:17 says, “One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed.” Likewise, Proverbs 28:27 says, “The one who gives to the poor will not lack, but whoever shuts his eyes to them will receive many curses.” And over in James 1:27 it is put very simply: “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
Would you like to do something today that you know will be greatly pleasing to God? That sounds pretty good doesn’t it—a sure-fire way to please God? Then keep your eyes open to see those around you who have financial needs, and be generous toward them. Don’t let fear about the future keep you from being generous to other people. Our Lord Jesus said in Matthew 6:31–33, “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
God is always faithful to provide. As we noted earlier, sometimes He provides for you through the generosity of others, and when He does, there’s no need to be ashamed about that, but you can simply be grateful to Him. And all of us need to be aware of moments where God may be seeking to provide for someone through our generosity, and in those moments we need to respond in obedience to Him, knowing that He will be greatly pleased when we do.
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