I believe humans are negotiators by nature. Some may be better than others, but there is always a particularly satisfying feeling to striking a deal with someone that is of greater benefit to us than the original offer. Most know that there are great times to "wheel and deal", such as car shopping, house shopping and when perusing used wares at garage sales. Fewer of us will go beyond "the norm" and bargain at places that are not so obvious: car repair shops, electronics stores and even doctor's offices.
Let me first start by saying that there is absolutely nothing wrong with negotiating. It is a great way to make sure that you, as a consumer are getting the best value for your money. While some will take it a bit too far, and try to negotiate the price for a meal at McDonald's (I'm partially kidding, although I know there has to be at least one person out there who has tried it), bargaining can benefit almost everyone in appropriate situations.
When is negotiating not a good idea? I'll give you a hint: most Christ-followers have done it at least once (if not many times) during their lives. I'll give you three other hints.
- "Oh God, if you just get me this promotion and the raise that comes with it, I promise I'll start tithing on every paycheck."
- "Oh Lord, if you just get us out of this mess, we'll start giving to You."
- "Please, Lord, if you just ___________, then I'll __________." (fill in the blanks for yourself)
At issue here is the idea that if the Lord will just bless us, we will initiate some obedient act. For many of us, as we look at our finances, we think that if the Lord will just bestow upon us a fabulous raise or a better job, then we will have more room in our budgets to start (or increase) or giving faithfully to Him. There is one problem with this idea.
It is ABSURD!
The Bible is full of examples of people who received blessings because of their obedience, but the cause-effect relationship stays in the stated order. Cause comes before effect. No high school student gets a perfect score on an examination, then goes home and studies for it. No stage-actor gives a poignant performance, then goes home after the show and studies lines for the first time. No investor reaps benefits from an investment before he or she makes the decision to invest.
And as ridiculous as these examples are, it is exactly what we ask God to do when we try to negotiate with him. The simple fact is: Blessings FOLLOW obedience. Let's take a look at Malachi 3:10.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. (NIV, 1984)
Take careful not of the order in this verse. First comes the command: "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse" (Emphasis added). God asks His people to obey His command to tithe. Then, after He issues this command, He indicates that they will be blessed beyond measure. Notice that God doesn't promise a tremendous outpouring of blessing before His people obey His command. That would sound more like a "bribe" than an incentive for obedience.
Are you trying to strike a deal with God? Is it working?
My guess would be "no".
Learning to Give in a Getting World, by Marc Farnell and Jesse Greever, is available as both a paperback and eBook at the following locations:
CreateSpace (paperback, $13.99)Amazon.com (paperback, $13.99; eBook, $8.99)
It
is also available to Amazon Prime members as a free eBook download as a
part of the Kindle Lending Library. Pastors and church administrators
can contact me directly at jesse@accidental-author.com to find out about discounts available for churches that wish to use this for teaching and small group curriculum.
You can also become a fan of the book at www.facebook.com/LearningToGive.
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