Not-So-Scriptural Giving Tuesday

“Giving Tuesday” is a big day for non-profits. Organizations spend weeks perfecting their marketing strategies in hopes of gaining new donors and funding their programs. If you’ve never heard of “Giving Tuesday” and are scratching your head in wonder, here’s what I am talking about.

First comes “Black Friday,” the Friday after Thanksgiving, which promotes retail shopping so companies can cross the line into profitability or “in the black,” as the accountants like to say.

Then, the following Monday is “Cyber Monday” to promote online shopping.

And finally, if you have any money left over, you are hit with “Giving Tuesday,” which promotes charitable giving to your favorite or new organizations.

I am not sure how these days started, nor am I really interested. However, when I asked a few Bright Hope Allies about their thoughts on Giving Tuesday, many were annoyed by the number of emails they get from organizations they have never heard of. Calling it “junk email day,” they stay off social media and trash emails as soon as they arrive in their inbox.

So when I got a flood of emails from marketing agencies wanting to help us with our “Giving Tuesday” strategy, I winced and decided Bright Hope would not promote Giving Tuesday. I even considered an Anti-Giving Tuesday in protest.

A little overdramatic, I admit. Thankfully, my staff calmed me down, and I agreed that we would acknowledge Giving Tuesday on our platforms, but we wouldn’t have a significant push or a financial goal for Tuesday.

I’ve got to admit, though, as much as Giving Tuesday leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I really like the idea of encouraging believers to give Scripturally any day of the week.

Here are three Scriptures to explain what God says about giving, not just on Tuesdays.

1. Proverbs 3:9. Give the first fruits of your produce – Before eating on Thanksgiving, or spending on Black Friday, God’s Word says to give to Him first.

2. Malachi 3:9-10. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse. The storehouse was the temple. From the temple, people went to worship God, and the poor could receive food.

Read these verses out loud.
“You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. ‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.’ ” Malachi 3:9-10

3. Hebrews 13:16. “Do not forget to do good and share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Wow! Do you want to please God? Then do good, share, make sacrificial gifts. It’s simple. Now that is a “Giving Tuesday Strategy” I can stand behind!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Remember the poor every day of the week.

Please consider sharing our ministry with your friends and family by giving the Bright Hope Coin. It gives them the power to change a life with Hope for Today, Hope for Tomorrow, or Hope for Eternity – or best yet, all three.