Money in the Light of Eternity, a book by Art Rainer

 Art Rainer certainly covers a lot of dimensions to generosity: stewardship, gratitude, trust, worship. He even talks about the messiness of being generous. However, I kept wondering why the book was written. Who’s the audience that’s going to pick up the book? Believers who already understand they are but stewards who are to manage resources according to the Master’s desires don’t need to read this. Those who accept with humility God’s good gifts—living a modern version of Deut. 6.10-12 (you didn’t build this, don’t forget the Lord)—don’t need to read this. Those who look at everyday life and apply Micah 6.8 don’t need to read this—“But what does the Lord require? To do right, to love mercy and walk humbly with God.” Or James 1.27–pure religion is taking care of widows and orphans and not letting the world corrupt you i.e. don’t let the world’s standards or perspectives persuade you to keep up with the Joneses. Potential readers would be new to generosity and they would want a “how to” book. Those who are not interested in generosity, have not been persuaded by sermons or even tax regulations encouraging generosity probably wouldn’t pick up the book. So I’m left with the audience of those who are only dipping their toes in the waters of generosity. Church-goers are no more generous than the rest of society, donating roughly 2% of their income. Those people will benefit from Rainer’s exhortation to dive into the deep end and go all out.

I do wonder at the title of the book. It implies that we can earn our way into heaven by being generous. Rather being generous is a response of gratitude as Rainer says. It’s obedience to His commands to help others, including loving our enemies. It’s recognizing that we don’t own these things but have been generously endowed with physical, financial, intellectual, relational, spiritual and historical (heritage, legacy) resources. No one is a self-made success: they didn’t build the roads, schools, hospitals, armed forces, police, courts, etc. on which our society rests. They didn’t come fresh into a faith that’s entirely new but has a legacy of thought and application in everyday life.

For those who are wondering if it makes sense to be more generous, Rainer’s book is a good resource. If you need encouragement, this book is good.