I thank my God every time I remember you.
Ever thanking God is the sign of deep spirituality—where everything is seen from God’s point of view.
Psalm 115:1: Not to us, O LORD, not to us! But to your name bring honor, for the sake of your loyal love and faithfulness.
Paul begins with a note of thanksgiving, acknowledging God, and he would later explain why. It was because of the Philippian church’s involvement with the spread of the gospel—specifically, the fact that they sent him contributions.
Philippians 4:15-16: And as you Philippians know, at the beginning of my gospel ministry, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in this matter of giving and receiving except you alone. For even in Thessalonica on more than one occasion you sent something for my need.
They were not going where Paul was going, but their gift was sustaining the gospel effort. This stood out to Paul because no other church displayed the same generosity.
At the end of the chapter, he assured them that God would supply their needs, whatever form that might take.
Philippians 4:19: And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
The Right Approach to Giving
One thing we do not see from Paul to the Philippians was coercion or pressure tactics used to get them to give. Because the Philippians were giving while others were not, Paul did not create a rule demanding that everyone in the church contribute to him.
What we see elsewhere is Paul warning against those who use bullying tactics.
2 Corinthians 11:20: For you put up with it if someone makes slaves of you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone behaves arrogantly toward you, if someone strikes you in the face.
Let’s learn from Paul. He thanked God for the Philippians but was careful to note that he was not making any demands—and he didn’t.
Philippians 4:11: I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance.
When the Bible says God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7), this automatically shows that there is no “love” coming from God when people use coercive tactics to take money from others.
Some people say the congregation wouldn’t give if you don’t pressure them. That is not the problem. The problem is that your eyes are on people as your source and not on God—and that is the main issue.
The Balance of Truth
There is nothing wrong with giving. There is something wrong with pressure tactics and excessive twisting of scriptures to turn money into a magical means of getting more—this is evil. There is genuine need for people to give. Remember, God loves a giver—let’s not miss that—but a particular kind of giver: the cheerful one, though a giver nonetheless.
There is a tendency, as a way to push back against blatant pressure tactics (which are noxious in my opinion), to miss the truth. The truth is that Jesus praised the giver. He said it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Acts 20:35: By working hard in this way we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
But there is a problem when you motivate with greed or fear rather than with love and free choice (Deuteronomy 16:10).
Don’t try to update the Bible and make it into something it is not. But people want to motivate others to give by promising them that giving is the solution to their problems. This creates a false god for people—one who is waiting on what they will give before he does something for them.
Rather than pressuring people to give, Paul worked with his own hands. As a pioneer for the gospel, his priority was the souls of the people, not their pockets.
Acts 20:33-34: I have desired no one’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine provided for my needs and the needs of those who were with me.
Paul’s Clear Conscience
Back to our focus verse: How could Paul thank God for the people if he had used pressure tactics to get something from them? How could he sleep with his conscience at night if he had used the word of God to exploit people or browbeat them into submission? That would mean he had sought his reward on earth and could not expect the same from God.
2 Corinthians 2:17: For we are not like so many others, huckstering the word of God, but with pure motives we speak in Christ before God as those sent from God.
Samuel told the children of Israel:
1 Samuel 12:3-4: Here I am. Bring a charge against me before the Lord and before his chosen king. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe so that I would overlook something? Tell me, and I will return it to you!
They replied, “You have not wronged us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from the hand of anyone.”
It pains me to see the shenanigans happening in some Bible teachings and the false promises being given.
Paul did not use promises to get people to give. Rather, he prayed for them, saying “my God shall supply all your needs.” He did not differentiate between levels of blessing when giving to a minister versus giving to a needy Christian.
When he wrote to Timothy, he instructed him to tell the rich to be generous.
1 Timothy 6:17-18: Command those who are rich in this world’s goods not to be haughty or to set their hope on riches, which are uncertain, but on God who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous, to be willing to share.
He did not tell them to ensure that the rich give to leaders first because there is some special blessing attached.
And when Paul said “my God,” it is not a recipe for praying to the God of Paul, as if there is something special about that phrase. Everyone can call God “my God.” It is a statement of close relationship with God, of intimate association. The throne room is now accessible through the blood of Jesus—there is no other intermediary apart from Christ (1 Timothy 2:5), who is all in all (Colossians 3:11).
