To Bargain or Not to Bargain with God

By: Steve Cook

I often encounter people who believe and wonder why God isn’t blessing them. The three most common scenarios that I come across in my conversations with people are the following:

Scenario 1: A friend wants to make twice as much money as he currently makes. He believes the solution to his desire is to tithe more. Because the Bible refers to tithing or giving back to God only 10% of our income, my friend expects that God will double his income if he gives 20%.

Scenario 2: A couple has spent years living a reckless financial life. They are in debt, losing sleep at night, and riding a sinking ship. They turn to God to ask for relief and can’t figure out why they are struggling months down the road. Unfortunately, they are losing faith in God.

Scenario 3: A woman says that if God will bless her, she would be extremely generous and would give back. She doesn’t understand why God won’t give to her so she can give back.

What do these three scenarios have in common? Each is bargaining with God. In the first scenario, my friend is giving more to get more. I believe that God doesn’t need his money, but giving is an act of faith and reveals one’s heart. We can’t “buy” what we want from God – that only cheapens God and His wisdom. The couple in the second scenario turns to faith to get out of debt. Although I truly believe God can do anything, assuming God will always bail us out of our problems is presumptuous.

My personal experience has taught me that God uses all trials as learning tools and the lessons we learn through those problems end up being blessings. Of course, no one wants to go through tough times to get to those valuable lessons, but it’s a way to grow in our faith and to trust in God. In the last case the woman is asking for more so she can give more. Unlike my friend in the first scenario, she wants her money upfront and then she’s willing to give! The question that comes to my mind is “What is wrong with giving now with what you have now?” If we have $10 in our pocket and we won’t give away $1, why would we suddenly give $1,000 away if we had $10,000 in our pockets? In my opinion, it’s a “heartset.” Giving to get isn’t God’s idea of giving. Giving with the expectation of getting nothing in return is more the idea.

This verse puts into perspective the scenarios faced above:

Matthew 6:33 (CEV): But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what He wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.

Do you see yourself in any of these scenarios? I was once in the shoes of everyone mentioned! I used to bargain with God all of the time. I’d say, “God, I’ll give you this if You will give me that.” I also expected God to just bail me out of my situations. Then one day God finally got a hold of my heart and I realized that I needed to give to and love God unconditionally. He wants my heart, not weasel clauses or contingencies attached to anything I do or give. He also revealed that I needed to learn from my poor choices. Therefore, I worked hard to get out of debt and fix my credit. I sacrificed for years to make it happen and, in the end, have so much more of an appreciation for all that God does for me.

Yes, I have been blessed beyond all I could ask for or imagine - with a successful business, awesome friends, and a wonderful family. But we’re all blessed in some way or another. I encourage each of you to look at your blessings, not in comparison to anyone else’s, and take inventory of how God has blessed you.