God loves it when we give cheerfully whatever we have determined in our hearts to give. Why? Because he knows that when we give from our hearts it sets in motion a universal principle that applies to us all, regardless of how rich or poor we think we are.
The Law of Sowing & Reaping
II Corinthians 9:6-7 says, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” It’s interesting that the richest people in the world are also the most generous! Yes, there is abundant evidence that giving makes people rich. Today’s researchers writing about it now. Here’s an example: Entrepreneur Magazine, October 17, 2007 states,
“While the link between giving and prosperity is not as mechanistic as returns on municipal bonds, there are some very earthbound explanations for it. Psychologists and neuroscientists have identified several ways that giving makes us more effective and successful. For example, new research from the University of Oregon finds that charity stimulates parts of the brain called the caudate nucleus and the nucleus accumbens, which are associated with meeting basic needs such as food and shelter, suggesting to the researchers that our brains know that giving is good for us. Experiments have also found that people are elevated by others into positions of leadership after they are witnessed behaving charitably. The financial advantages of giving aren’t limited to individual givers. There is also evidence that donations push up income even more at the level of an entire nation’s economy.”
Luke [6:38] says, “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” In other words, the more you give, the more God will give you to give! Whatever you do, ask the Holy Spirit, and if you are married—be sure to come to an agreement with your spouse on what to give to and how much to give.
3 Phases of Giving
We’ve learned that there are 3 phases of giving:
Tithing (the foundation phase)
Impact giving (the accumulating wealth phase)
Legacy giving (the strategic income phase).
Phase 1: Tithing:
Some say God owns ten percent, so always give that; then the rest is yours. But, from what we see in Scripture, when we come to Christ we give him everything! The Master owns it all, one hundred percent–which includes our bodies, minds, talents, possessions, and our money. Throughout history, beginning with the book of Acts, we see believers led by the Spirit giving out of their want—not just ten percent, but everything they have to live on. Remember that Jesus came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it. As far as we see it, the principle of the tithe was not abolished in the New Testament. The tithe (10%) is a token. It’s our way of saying, “It all belongs to you God.” Here is our offering again that we give to you cheerfully, by faith.
Meg and I began tithing ten percent of our income to our local church when we were first married in 1983. (Back then, I was making a small salary as a Christian school teacher.) Over the years we have watched God work countless financial miracles for us as we raised our five children. Their expenses included private school tuition, ballet instruction, basketball, trips to Italy, family vacations, birthday parties, and, of course, weddings. We understood the principle of tithing, and so by faith we made a firm decision to tithe 10% of our income regardless of our circumstances. That wasn’t always easy, but it worked! God provided worked miracle after miracle for us and our children over the years. We always had everything we needed.
Phase 2: Impact Giving:
After you’ve embraced the first phase of giving and the Holy Spirit has indicated that it’s time—move into the second phase—“Impact Giving”. With the coming of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, we are given the power to go way beyond what Old Testament law requires—and to do that cheerfully. Everything in the New Covenant goes to a whole new level compared to the old: greater miracles, greater joy, greater self-control, greater lover, greater sacrifice, and greater giving. Since the Holy Spirit resides within us, we can do all of this as we keep in step with him. When the Spirit says pray, we pray; when the Spirit says worship, we worship; and when the Spirit says give, we give—not under compulsion, but with joy!
You might be wondering, “How do I know what to give to?” We give as the Holy Spirit leads us. Scripture teaches that we are to give to the one who shares the Word with us. Galatians 6:6 says, “Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.” Second, we are to give to missions. Philippians [4:16]-18 says, “Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. Also, ask the Lord to show you how you can help the needy. Maybe sometimes the Holy Spirit will emphasize that you give of your time. (We’ll get to that in a coming episode.)
For our family, this was missions. We were also continually giving to our church’s missions program and building projects. We weren’t giving very much, but the little we gave took faith for us—and we believe we were rewarded for that faith. The extra income began to flow from unexpected sources, such as song royalties. As a result of a single royalty payment Meg and I were able to take a missions trip to Kenya together in 1990 as part of a ministry team.
You might be wondering, “How do I know what to give to?” We give as the Holy Spirit leads us. Scripture teaches that we are to give to the one who shares the Word with us. Galatians 6:6 says, “Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.” Second, we are to give to missions. Philippians [4:16]-18 says, “Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. Also, ask the Lord to show you how you can help the needy. Maybe sometimes the Holy Spirit will emphasize that you give of your time. (We’ll get to that in a coming episode.)
Phase 3: Legacy Giving (the strategic income phase)
Prayerfully consider big ways to give. Dream big! This is the phase Meg and I are in now as of the time of this writing. We want to leave legacy that includes an estate for our children to inherit, schools, books, courses, and other products that people will be benefiting from long after we are gone. Don’t put any limitations on what God can do through you. He wants you to dream big! He is the God of the impossible. Ask him how he wants to bless others through you—which includes, not only your family, but your church and community.
Guard Your Heart
In the end, we will not be taking money and possessions with us. Guard your most precious, eternal possession—your heart! God knows our propensities. He gives us commands in his Word that so that we don’t hurt ourselves! Here are some principles regarding giving from the heart in Scripture that we should follow as we pursue financial freedom:
Principle #1: Give regularly and generously—not just because there is a need to give to, but because our hearts have a tendency of holding on to riches. Hoarding means saving money without having a specific need in mind. This is actually a form of idolatry—and idolatry is simply giving first place in our hearts to something other than God. Matthew [6:21] says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (See also 1 Timothy [6:17])
Principle #2: Give because you genuinely care about people, not for any selfish reason. Jesus said, “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:2-4)
Principle #3: Be content with what you have. The tenth commandment is, “Thou shalt not covet.” Coveting means taking delight in something in a wrong way. I Timothy [6:10] says, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” Notice that it’s not money itself that is evil, but the love of money. There is nothing wrong with having money and possessions, but when those things have you, then there is a big problem.
Recommended Article:
Since financial freedom is such a huge topic, please do not conclude that we think we have the final word on the subject. We have had moments where we learned what not to do through “the school of hard knocks–and we’ve also learned through the years how to follow financial strategies that actually work. We’re going to make it easy for you to find this material. Read Financial Freedom God’s Way.
You’ll learn:
- The principles of giving
- How to set up and maintain a monthly budget
- How to manage credit
- How to get out of debt
- How to break the spending habit
Recommended Course: Financial Peace University
This course was a financial life-changer for us as we raised our five children. To this day, we have no consumer debt, no student loans, and no car loans–just a small mortgage that we are paying quickly paying down. There are a total of 7 steps. Steps 1-3 are outlined above. Steps 4 through 7 are about planning for retirement, college funds, paying off your mortgage, and wealth building.
Recommended Book: Financial Peace Revisited
Purchase this book if you are unable to attend the course. It could be one of the most valuable purchases you’ll ever make. All 7 “baby steps” are listed in chapter 21 for quick reference, then you’ll find some financial management forms in the back of the book.