The Antidote to Materialism: Giving Like the Early Church

I have been enjoying facilitating a Sunday school class at our church, where we are reading through C.S. Lewis’ classic book, Mere Christianity. This week, our chapter ended with a gut-punch quote about generosity:

"I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them."

Lewis' sharp intellect can make one feel as though they’re sitting in a philosophy lecture one moment, and then, with a crystal-clear metaphor or a piercing quote, he drives the point home. The quote above was one of those moments for me.

I truly believe I live in one of the greatest countries in the history of mankind, yet I wonder if we who follow Christ in this modern age have allowed the American Dream to subtly infiltrate our faith in ways we struggle to recognize. When I read the Gospels, the book of Acts, and the epistles, I see radical generosity marking both the teachings of the New Testament and the example of the early believers.

“They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need”  is not a testimony I’ve ever heard in a North American church (Acts 2:45). Yet, it was a defining characteristic of the early church.

When Paul first met the Apostles in Jerusalem, they extended the right hand of fellowship and emphasized one additional charge, as Paul recalls: “All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along” (Galatians 2:10). This was not just a passing statement—Paul actively raised money from the churches he visited to help those suffering from famine in Jerusalem. Writing to the Corinthians, he highlights the extraordinary generosity of the Macedonians:

“In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations” (2 Corinthians 8:2-5).

We, too, have brothers and sisters in Christ experiencing severe hardship. We, too, can respond as the early church did to meet their needs. We, too—even those of us who have little—can well up in rich generosity.

Randy Alcorn, in his powerful little book The Treasure Principle, writes: “Five minutes after we die, we’ll know exactly how we should have lived. But God has given us His Word so that we don’t have to wait to die to find out. And He’s given us His Spirit to empower us to live that way now.”

I’ve often thought that the moment I step into heaven, my first word will be “Wow!” and my second will most likely be “Oops,” as I realize all the ways I was so sure of myself but was wrong. One of those, I am increasingly convinced, will be the realization that I kept too much of God’s possessions for myself.
Alcorn’s fifth principle in The Treasure Principle states: “Giving is the only antidote to materialism. Giving is a joyful surrender to a greater person and a greater agenda. It dethrones me and exalts Him.”

Today, I want to give you opportunities to give. The organizations below are serving the very least of these—many of whom are our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world. Each of these organizations is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, ensuring that your money reaches the intended projects.
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May we be a people who live out the radical generosity of the early church, giving beyond what is comfortable, and embracing the joy of surrendering to God’s greater plan

Samaritan’s Purse

• Food for Sudan
• Emergency Field Hospital Sudan
• Food for South Sudan
• Women’s Health in Sudan
• Relief for Ukraine

Compassion International

• Sponsor a child in Guatemala 
• Sponsor a child in El Salvador 

​Blood:Water Mission

• Clean Water in Africa

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Further Reading

• The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn
• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

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