In God We Trust

I can remember being a kid and longing for the day when I would be grown up and no longer have to follow the rules adults set for me. Whether it was bedtime imposed by my parents or what the teacher required me to study in school, I dreamt of doing what I wanted to do and when and where and with whom.

The truth is that none of us live in complete freedom. We are constantly under the authority of structures that regulate how to live in mutual cooperation. We follow traffic laws as we drive around town; we complete the work assigned to us by a supervisor; we make sure our lawn is mown to the satisfaction of the township.

The resistance against authority that we feel is not unique to us living in this time or in this country. Yet, God calls us to hold a different perspective.

In Paul’s letter to the Romans (13:1-2), he says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”

Consider 1 Peter 2:13-14. “For the Lord’s sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.”

These Scripture passages remind us that the systems against which we might chafe ultimately have been permitted by God. As such, our response to authority represents an extension of our obedience to God.

Those living under Roman imperial rule, when these letters were first written, did not even have the opportunity to elect the officials to whom they were obliged to abide. Though Augustus was officially invested by the Roman Senate with lifetime tenure as commander-in-chief, by 23 BC his cooperation with that venerable body was in appearance only. And the procurators and client kings who helped manage the complexities of control over the vast land holdings of the empire were appointed and not beholden to the general population.[1]

Certainly, there was no love lost between the Romans and the Jewish inhabitants of Palestine in the first century. Yet, Jesus advocated – not resistance, but – peaceful adherence to authority as recorded in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:39-41). Even when faced with soldiers who could legally confiscate personal property for “official use” or even compel someone to work,[2] Jesus called his follower to not resist, but to give and do even more than required.

Though we enjoy a greater level of freedom than could ever be imagined by the average believer during the first century, we are still called to abide by the authorities God has placed in our own lives today. Consider our obligations as members of a United Methodist Church. When we take our vows, we pledge our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness. In this way, we share the gospel of Jesus Christ and make disciples in his name.

Our relationship to authority, even in the church, may best be revealed through our giving, particularly how we give. For many of us, money is a touchy subject. We use money to meet our most basic needs and to satisfy our dreams for ourselves and our families. Many of us have been conditioned to worry that, even if we have an abundance now, we may someday run out. As a result, we tend to either hoard our wealth or spend it indulging ourselves.

In Romans 13:7, Paul instructs “Pay to all what is due them—taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.” This includes the church.

Many believers do give to the church, and generously so. But there’s a trend I’ve seen in recent years to set conditions on how the money they give is to be used. Giving in this way is a form of resistance used to control the church’s agenda and subvert the authority of the its leadership.

When we designate how our giving should be used, we communicate that we don’t trust church leadership to allocate resources wisely and fairly. As United Methodists, we value collaborative decision-making. We need the community to be engaged in developing the church’s budget and participating in the stewardship of the resources with which God has blessed us.

Church finances become difficult to manage when so much money is restricted. I have witnessed churches struggle to pay the electric bill, because there isn’t enough money in the General Fund even though there are thousands of dollars reserved to purchase an organ (even when there is no organist to play it). Unrestricted giving allows church leadership to meet current and emerging needs (and make sure the lights stay on).

Deliberate, prayerful discernment of how to minister to the community is abandoned to keep track of how much money has been designated to which fund – sometimes never being used because insufficient support from the congregation as a whole means that it just sits there never being spent. An unused gift is a wasted gift.

From a pastor’s perspective, perhaps the most disturbing problem with designated giving is what it reveals about our hearts. When we insist on controlling “our” money, we fail to trust God and the authority structures God has put in place.

Now, for all this, there are times when leadership requests people consider designating gifts for special campaigns or projects, which reflect the careful reflection and discernment of a large, immediate need. And, there may be times when we feel called to support a special initiative, but that is best done as an extra gift over and above our regular giving.

Our giving patterns reflect our trust in God’s provision and the authorities God has established in the church. Yet, we are called to humble ourselves and submit, so that we might be known, not just for our generosity, but for the freedom with which we give what God so graciously blessed us.

[1] Hatina, Thomas R. 2013. Rome and its Provinces in The World of the New Testament: Cultural, Social, and Historical Contexts. eds. Joel B. Green and Lee Martin McDonald, 559. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic. Kindle.

[2] Thompson, G.L. 2000. Roman Military in Dictionary of New Testament Background. eds. Craig A. Evans and Stanley E. Porter, 995. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic. Kindle.