by From a sermon by Darrin Chastain, August 17, 2025.
“Giving away our possessions is the ultimate way to break their hold on us.”
We all wrestle with questions about money and giving: Should I tithe 10%? Does my giving have to go to my church? Will God bless me for giving or punish me for not giving? What if I’m barely scraping by?
While I have opinions on all these questions, today I want to focus on the foundational question: Why should I give my money away?
The Monkey Trap Test
How do you catch a monkey? According to folk tradition from areas with a monkey problem, it’s quite simple. Hunters would cut a small hole in a coconut, gourd, or box, put something desirable inside, and chain it to a tree. A monkey would reach in, grab the prize, but then couldn’t pull its fist out. The monkey could escape at any time—if only it would let go. But it wouldn’t.
Sound familiar? We can relate to this monkey trap. Once we have hold of something, it’s ours, and it’s hard to let go.
Giving money away is an idolatry test. The only way to know if money has a hold on us is to let some of it go. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” I can claim my heart belongs to God, but to be sure money isn’t my god, I better check.
Four Reasons to Give
1. It’s God’s Design for the Church
As Christians, we’re partners in the family business. Seeking and saving the lost, making disciples, caring for the needy—this is God’s strategy, and we are the church. The local church is God’s plan A to reach people.
Rob West from “Faith and Finance Live” puts it well: “Giving is a way of being hardwired into God’s activity, participating in where he is at work.”
Scripture backs this up: “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” (1 John 3:17)
2. We’re Made in God’s Image—and He’s a Giver
“For God so loved the world that he gave…” (John 3:16). Jesus “made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7). We give because God made us in His image, and He’s a generous giver.
3. We’re Stewards, Not Owners
A steward manages the master’s resources. From week one of our series, we established that God owns it all—He just entrusts us with its care. This doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy things (He “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment”), but it means we seek the Master’s wisdom in how we manage what He’s put us in charge of.
4. We Step Out in Faith First
Think of the Israelites crossing the Jordan River—the priests had to step into the water before it stopped flowing. Noah built an ark before it rained. Abraham left home without GPS coordinates. It’s a kingdom principle: lasting change and genuine blessing come when we step out in faith first.
Trust and Obey vs. Testing Limits
Here’s a convicting comparison: With sexual purity, we often ask, “How far can I go and still be okay?” With giving, we ask, “How little can I give and still be generous?”
Both approaches reveal the same heart issue: Do I believe and trust God’s word?
Instead of testing limits, what if we simply trusted and obeyed? Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Do we believe Him?
The Promise of Transformation
I love this story about a former thief who became a Christian in prison. On his first Sunday out, he sat in church staring at “Thou shalt not steal” on the wall. But gradually, those words shifted from a command to a promise: “You shall not steal. That’s not who you are anymore.”
God’s desire isn’t just rule-keeping—it’s heart transformation. More than following laws, He promises to make us the kind of people from whom acts of generosity naturally flow.
An apple tree produces apples because of its nature. We hold loosely to worldly things because we’re citizens of a different kingdom.
Practical Challenges
First, pray. Ask the Lord to guide you in giving. God loves a cheerful giver—He wants your heart aligned with His, not begrudging compliance.
Second, track your spending. This might sound restrictive, but here’s the truth: the only way to know if your spending aligns with your priorities is to check. What we actually spend money on reveals what’s truly important to us.
When the cashier asks, “Do you want your receipt?” the answer should be yes. Write down every penny for a month. You may discover some things are more important to you than you thought—but that’s the point. Once you know the truth about where your money goes, the truth can set you free.
Model Generosity for the Next Generation
Let me share a quick story: Our daughter Amy once interrupted a church meeting to ask whether her $500 gift should go to the general fund or a special offering. She’d just received $5,000 from her grandfather for college expenses but wanted to give 10% to the church.
If you’re not a giver, your kids probably won’t be either. These things are better caught than taught—or better yet, both caught and taught.
The Bottom Line
Being generous doesn’t save you, but when we are saved, God works in us, molding us into Christ’s likeness. He wants our hearts. If we hold tightly to anything that hardens our hearts toward Him, He wants to change us.
Maybe it’s pride. Maybe it’s fear or self-sufficiency. Maybe it’s money.
Remember what Jesus told His disciples when they asked, “Who then can be saved?” His answer: “What’s impossible with man is possible with God.”
Hold on loosely. Not because you have to, but because when your heart aligns with God’s generous heart, you’ll discover the abundant life Jesus promised—both now and for eternity.
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Daniel N. Lee 