Can We Talk About Money Without Making It Weird?

By Pastor John Erickson

There are certain things that make people uncomfortable in church.

Talking about money is right near the top of the list.

I get it. Some of you have seen manipulative fundraising. Maybe somebody told you that if you gave a certain amount, God would make you wealthy. Maybe a religious leader used guilt to get what they wanted.

And then a pastor gets up and says, "Today we're talking about generosity."

You can almost hear people thinking, Oh great. Here we go.

That's part of why I avoided this subject for a long time. I didn't want people to think I was after their money.

But here's the problem: money is already a huge part of our lives. We think about bills, rent, work, saving, debt, retirement, and whether there's enough left over for dinner out.

If following Jesus touches the things that matter to us, how could we never talk about money?

Jesus Talks About What We Value

Here's a question: if I could see everything you spent money on, what would I learn about you?

Not that I want to look through your bank statements. Please don't send me your login information.

But our spending reveals something about our priorities, our fears, and the things we treasure. Sometimes the picture is beautiful. Sometimes it's humbling.

Jesus spoke about money because he understood how easily it becomes more than a tool.

We can use money to care for our families and help other people. We can also spend our lives chasing just a little more and discover that we still don't feel safe or satisfied.

Financial stress is real. It's not a sign that somebody has failed spiritually. And the last thing a church should do is add shame to people who are already struggling.

So let's talk about giving without pretending everyone's situation is the same.

Paul's Invitation Is Surprisingly Gentle

In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul tells the Corinthians about churches that gave generously even while experiencing severe hardship.

That's striking. You might expect him to use it as a guilt trip. "Look what they gave. What's your excuse?"

Instead, he talks about grace.

In verse 7, he encourages the Corinthians to excel in the grace of giving, just as they have grown in other areas of their faith.

I love that language: the grace of giving.

Generosity isn't treated as an unpleasant tax we pay to God. It's an expression of the grace we've already received.

Later, Paul explicitly says he is not issuing a command meant to pressure them. He wants their love to be sincere (2 Corinthians 8:8). And he talks about the importance of willingness and giving according to what one has, not according to what one doesn't have (8:12).

Those details matter.

The goal isn't to squeeze every last dollar out of people. It's to become generous people.

Giving Is Part of Spiritual Formation

We don't usually have a problem understanding that prayer is a spiritual practice.

We make room for God, even when we don't always feel like it. We read Scripture. We worship. We serve.

Why would generosity be any different?

If we never talk about how to handle money with wisdom and generosity, we leave a large part of discipleship untouched.

I've had to admit that as a pastor. For a long stretch, I gave financial updates but avoided teaching about money. Then several people separately approached Gina and me and encouraged us to address it. I could no longer confuse my own comfort with good discipleship.

Avoiding the topic entirely might help me dodge an uncomfortable conversation, but it doesn't necessarily help people grow.

Generosity trains us to hold our possessions with open hands. It reminds us that our worth doesn't come from what we own. It can help us become more attentive to the needs of people around us.

Gina and I have taken biblical finance courses and taught them as well. That learning helped us make giving intentional and work through debt. With four children and my work outside pastoring, it was not something that happened simply because we liked the idea. We needed practical habits.

We have used automatic giving, supported other organizations, and contributed to particular needs. Those are examples from our household, not a claim that everybody has the same resources or should copy our exact choices.

And sometimes growing in generosity begins with very practical steps-making a budget, looking honestly at debt, or recognizing that we cannot give money we don't have.

This Isn't a Get-Rich Formula

I need to be clear about something.

I don't believe you can use generosity to force God to make you rich.

Give to your church and receive a bigger paycheck. Support a missionary and get a promotion. Give enough, and your financial problems will disappear.

That's not the gospel.

The New Testament never guarantees that the person who gives generously will end up with the most money in the bank. Paul describes generous Christians living with real need.

God's grace is not a vending machine.

There may be sacrifice involved in giving. There may be a lot of joy. But if someone is selling you generosity as a secret investment strategy, that's a very different message than the one we find in Scripture.

Start With Grace, Not Guilt

Maybe you love giving and want to grow. Maybe you're anxious about money. Maybe you're recovering from a bad church experience and can barely stand hearing the subject mentioned.

Wherever you are, I'd rather begin with a question than a demand.

What would it look like for God's grace to reshape the way you think about the things you own?

Perhaps your first step is to be more intentional. Perhaps it's learning how to help someone nearby. Perhaps it's asking for wise financial guidance or beginning to share what you can, without comparing your situation to somebody else's.

I don't think Jesus needs us to be manipulated into generosity.

He invites us to discover a new way of living-one where money serves love instead of trying to become the thing we love.