The Worst Case Scenario

Some people have the special gift and calling of generosity. In Romans 12, Paul teaches that one of the spiritual gifts is the gift of giving. He writes, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us… if it is giving, then give generously.” (Rom 12:6-8). Paul teaches that these diverse spiritual gifts have an underlying unity. They all serve the ultimate goal of the Christian life: To create a community of love. After teaching about the spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul writes about love in one of the most famous passages in the Bible: 1 Corinthians 13.

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”

Contrary to popular belief, this passage is not about marriage. It is about love within the Body of Christ, a love that abundantly overflows to neighbors who are unbelievers. This passage ends with what I believe is the scariest verse in the Bible for generous people: “If I give all I possess… but do not have love, I gain nothing.”

Throughout the gospels and especially in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus promises a heavenly reward for our good deeds here on earth. As we serve others who cannot and will not repay us, God keeps score, and He will reward us generously. However, there’s a caveat. If we do good deeds but do not love, we “gain nothing.” What a terrible prospect! It’s possible to give money away and receive no reward from our Father in Heaven. This is the worst case scenario. You lose your money and your eternal reward. The deciding factor is whether or not our giving is motivated by love.

Storing Charitable Assets

I think about this verse when I consider some of the practices of modern Christian philanthropy in this country. A growing generosity movement has focused on the joy of giving, the good that giving does for the giver, and the power of giving to dethrone money. Some people make an argument for giving on the basis of self-interest. Money can be toxic in your life, so get rid of it, and it’s less likely to ruin your relationships.

This message is true. It also falls short of the biblical call to give generously. This is a message that could just as easily be the posture of a stoic or a Buddhist and not a Christian. It is a message about reducing attachments and finding peace. The Christian message is one of increasing attachments, of greater and greater love. These greater attachments bring a glorious combination of peace and pain.

The current message has consequences. More and more, Christians are breaking the power of money in their lives by stocking their wealth in financial vehicles like foundations and donor-advised funds. This may dethrone money, but it is not yet loving neighbors. Love is when you draw close to the stories of people made in the Image of God and leverage your power to improve their lives. By my count, there’s around $14 billion in Christian donor-advised funds. There are tens of billions more (at least) in foundations run by Christians. Some of these foundations and DAFs are generously managed, and others simply do the bare minimum. For example, the vast majority of foundations hover around the legally mandated 5% payout rate, allowing them to give money away without touching the principal at all.

I do not think that stocking away billions of dollars in stored charitable assets is what Jesus had in mind when He said that, “It is better to give than to receive.” Storing charitable assets is a good first step in a generosity journey, but it does not go far enough to merit eternal reward because it is not yet giving as the Bible describes it. Again, Paul writes, “If I give away all I possess… but do not have love, I gain nothing.” Giving at its best is leveraging money for the sake of loving neighbors, for nothing in return.

The Main Thing

Kierkagaard wrote, “Purity of heart is to will one thing.” Christianity offers the simplest ethical system possible. Jesus was able to reduce all of the teachings of the Bible to two commandments and just one virtue: Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. To become a person of love is to grow in the reality of the Kingdom of God. Love is the greatest virtue in Christian doctrine, the deepest essence of the teachings of the Bible. In the scariest verse in the Bible for generous people, Paul writes, “If I give away all I possess… but do not have love, I gain nothing.” This is a call to not just have less money, but to serve people like Jesus, our King who spent his days healing, feeding, teaching, protecting, and saving people. We can give without loving, but we cannot love without giving.