Giving

By Gregory Dean

Do we shine the light He's asked us to shine? Are we a city on a hill? A light on a lampstand?

--Matthew 5:14-16

Western Christianity has lost its way in terms of generosity--forgetting (or never realizing) that every second of time, every special talent, and every penny of gain is from God and for God. He has graciously given us this time, talent, and treasure for our daily bread--no more and no less (Proverbs 30:8-9)--but the surplus is for His glory. We have been lulled into this misstewardship by common, earthly sentiment like "You've got to support your family!" while living in a three-thousand-square-foot house on a golf course. No condemnation, just biblical truth: we are mismanaging His provision.

HowGiving founder Greg Dean is a voice and advocate for a true selfless life following Jesus. Giving is a diatribe directed to the Western Christian, shouting from the mountaintop, "We must die to self, pick up our cross, and follow Him--including being as generous as He has been generous."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9781638149057

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Preface: A Note to the Greg of 2009

Chapter 1: How Did We Get Here?

Chapter 2: A Giving God

Chapter 3: What Is Ours?

Chapter 4: Why Don't We Give as He Gives?

Chapter 5: What Is Christian Faith?

Chapter 6: What If We All Gave as Commanded?

Chapter 7: Race and Poverty

Chapter 8: Firstfruits

Chapter 9: Giving of Our Time and Talent

Chapter 10: Stealing from God

Chapter 11: History's Greatest Investment

Chapter 12: Where to Begin?

Chapter 13: Give from a Joyful Heart (and Without Hesitation)

Chapter 14: A Warning to the Rich

Conclusion

Additional Resources

About the Author

cover.jpg

Giving

Gregory Dean

ISBN 978-1-63814-904-0 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63814-905-7 (Digital)

Copyright © 2022 Gregory Dean

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

I was born selfish.

And I was born again generous.

—Robert Morris, Gateway Church,

Southlake, Texas

I want something to be abundantly clear: The author of this book and his personal thoughts are inconsequential, irrelevant. I am no one except that I am grafted into the family of God through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Nothing I have, nothing I have done has resulted in my salvation. The talents, time, and treasure I possess have been given to me by God for His work, His glory, and His kingdom building. I want that to be clear because there is no reason you should listen to me. My opinions, rants, perspectives—they don't matter. In fact, they are outright wrong if they do not align with God's Word. While I ask that you hear what I believe God has said in His holy, infallible Scripture, the fact that it comes from me is not a factor to consider—both because I am nothing without Him, and if you knew me before He saved me, you certainly would take my thoughts with a grain of salt, shrug, and walk on. And you should. My word is worth close to nothing. But His Word—His Word is 100 percent God-breathed and good for teaching, correcting, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

That said, I do believe He's gifted me with an insight to biblical generosity. He's created me with a giving heart. Now, to be honest, I used that to my advantage for the majority of my life, but now eleven years a Christian, I do it to reflect Him, to glorify Him, to meet felt needs as He makes me aware of them, to draw people to Him—all because He was first generous to me. I love Him, so I obey His commandments.

Greg Dean is no one of consequence on his own, but he is a son of God, a friend of God, a vice-regent (a representative) of the kingdom here in this foreign land for a very short time, and he is here for one reason: to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.

With that heart, I've written this book. I truly believe that—barring the greatest problem of sin (which I only contribute to)—lack of godly generosity is the root of all that is evil and wrong in this world. I truly believe that most of the world's greatest issues would vanish if the people of God stepped up as commanded in the area of generosity. That begins with a changed heart, which comes from faith, which is a gift of God's grace and is not our own, and that changed heart begins with the gospel.

For God so loved the world that He gave all. So what does it say about us that we give so little? And please don't respond with, But we give a lot—much more than others in the world. Please hear me—I get that. But God did not call us to be better than others. He calls us higher—to be perfect as He is perfect, to give as He gives, to consider nothing our own.

As you read through this book, especially as a Christian in the Western world, you will react viscerally to some of what I say. You will push back and justify why you don't give in the way I'm suggesting God is asking of us.

I can't control that, but also do not think I'm doing it to make you angry. I'm doing it because—unfortunately—we all need a shock to make a change, to move us, to shake us from our sleep. And that's just it—we're asleep on this topic.

As the gospel of Jesus Christ is confrontational, so are all truths from our God. He calls us to stand out as absolute freaks—not for freakishness's sake but to stand apart like a city on a hill, like a light on a lampstand. How weird, but how intriguing and lovely, should be their reaction to how we choose to live, how we boldly obey, how we give hysterically.

Yes, hysterically—like we're crazy people by worldly standards.

I'm no one of consequence. I'm just a man created in His very image—the Imago Dei—to reflect Him. I am simply a follower of Jesus trying to shine His love, endeavoring to obey Him. I am a husband and a father of three and a neighbor and a brother and an uncle and—again, really no one of consequence. But that is who God uses—nobodies like me.

Compare what I say to Scripture. Try to suspend your tendency to justify. Pray that the Spirit enlighten you in this area where, I believe, we've been too selfish, too comfortable, too lazy for too long. Consider a world filled with Christians who actually lived out their Christian lives in a world of hurt and hunger and sorrow. Imagine if we were the body—His hands and feet.

Just imagine.

When I grow up, I want to be the man my dog thinks I am.

Let's be honest. My dog thinks I'm a far better person than I actually am. I'm not saying I'm a bad person necessarily, just that he thinks I'm on an entirely different level.

When I'm eating something I shouldn't, he doesn't judge. He just looks at me with a you going to give me some of that? look on his face.

When I'm being a jerk (not as often as you might think, and you can't trust my wife on that one—she's obviously crazy), my dog still thinks I'm awesome.

When I walk out of the room then back in, he goes nuts!—tail wagging, happy to see me. I'm just that exciting, apparently.

Let's be honest—he's dead wrong, but he seems to see something in me that even I have a hard time seeing sometimes. He sees what I could be, I think. He thinks I can do no wrong, that I'm the most giving, most selfless, most awesomest dude ever. Yeah—ever.

So my goal from this point forward is to be the person my dog thinks I am. All I have to do is make it so everyone with whom I cross paths leaves wagging his or her tail (metaphorically speaking, of course). To be clear, I don't mean I plan to appease everyone I cross paths with, but to ensure I do right by everyone with whom I come in contact. Whether it's my family, my friends, or complete strangers,