God doesn’t want me to be a “scrooge.” He wants me to be like a teflon tube, a person into whom God can pour His blessings so that they can flow easily through me to others.
This can be a very tough issue for married couples who have differing views on giving. When one spouse wants to give “as a generous gift” and that gift for the other would be only “grudgingly given”, then of course there’s a problem. Money is the number one issue mentioned by couples as the source of marital conflict. So, what to do when the conflict focuses on giving to God?
My advice stems from the belief that God doesn’t want to create conflict within marriages. Further the Bible makes it clear that giving is to be done freely, not under pressure or in a legalistic manner. Therefore if one spouse wants to give biblically and the other is reluctant, it’s really important to discuss the matter respectfully, honestly and lovingly and in the end I personally believe that the more mature Christian should defer to the less mature Christian. This means that the stronger Christian will not be forcing his or her will on the other and will be showing honor to that spouse’s understanding. It then becomes the stronger Christian to be a spouse who makes Christianity attractive rather than legalistic.
Attitude matters so much to God.
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