Giving is one of the HARDEST spiritual gifts to cultivate. Don’t feel bad if it’s tough to say yes when someone in need asks you for a donation. It’s hard to part with what you’ve worked so hard to earn. The Bible gives us some general guidelines on giving, and Christians love to debate over the interpretation of those guidelines. I think it’s normal to freeze up or get annoyed when that offering plate comes your way…if everything you thought you knew about Kingdom giving was complete and correct. I encourage you to consider a different, even broader, perspective if you’re struggling in this area that God deems incredibly important for His children.
When we understand that everything we own is ultimately from Him, we start to realize that we are merely stewards of all material assets, not outright owners. God actually owns them. When we really accept this, it becomes easier to give. He is the trustor. We are the trustees.
When we understand that all good things come from above, and good deeds are rewarded handsomely, we want to give more freely because we desire to please Him and we know that He will reward us greatly for it.
The principle of First Fruits basically states that we should give the first of what we receive back to the Lord. I don’t think that always means that it should go to the church, although the Lord is pretty clear that we are to tithe (which is a requirement of all Christians) a percent of our income to the church. Ultimately, we are to listen to what the Holy Spirit (that still small voice) says. It will tell us where, to whom, and how much to give.
When you prioritize giving away the first ten percent (or more) of whatever you earn or acquire (bonuses, inheritances, tax returns, gifts, etc), you are sowing into God’s kingdom, helping others, pleasing Him, and storing up rewards for yourself here on earth and in Heaven.
I don’t believe that God cares about every little detail of what we give. That’s why we have free will. So long as we are remembering to give back regularly, I don’t think He’s always pressed about percentages, gross income vs net income, who the recipients are, etc. Just make sure that the spirit of your generosity aligns with biblical principles.
It’s also worth noting that while we are called to give, we are all called to serve different roles here on earth. That means that God will ask some people to give away more than others (pretty sure my husband and I are in that group). It’s also okay to be materially wealthy. We are meant to prosper here on earth, so long as we give back and put our spiritual growth first. It’s also okay to live a modest life with just the necessities if that’s what God asks us to do. If He says “give it all away,” then we should honor that.
Whatever you decide to give away, do it with a good attitude, unto Him, and eventually you’ll see how priming the pump of prosperity leads to great blessings in your life.
