The Balancing Act: Giving
Theme / Financial Planning
Read Time / 3 Minutes
“That’s mine!” She cried as I tried to sneak a seemingly untouched slice of garlic bread off a three-year old’s plate, while I was having dinner with a childhood friend and his family.
While it is not a perfect example, I think we can all relate to the young girl in this story. Whether it’s a piece of toast or money we have slaved away for, our defense declares, “this is mine.” Are we designed to be generous or selfish? Our sinful nature demands selfishness, while our Kingdom nature demands selflessness.
“This is mine.” It’s a simple statement, yet it has a profound effect on how we interact with others, including God. Maybe you have been taken advantage of in the past, and feel the need to fight for yourself.
Regardless of how our sinful nature manifests itself in our lives, there is a clear way to overcome it: Generosity. We recommend when budgeting to prioritize giving first. Why? Because it reminds us to partner with Heaven, instead of our flesh.
Here’s how you start:
If giving isn’t part of your budget…
Take the jump, and start your budget off by giving 10%. If you are attending a church, great! Give it to your home church (See Malachi 3:10). If you aren’t part of a church family, find someone or an organization to bless.
If finances are too tight…
I would challenge you by saying: you can’t afford NOT to give. It’s the economy of Heaven. It doesn’t work based on what we can perceive or understand. It works by walking by faith. If you are really concerned your family is going to suffer, then start by giving something. I strongly believe there is power in starting at 10% and walking by faith and not by sight (See Leviticus 27:30). At the end of the day, it’s not about perfection, it’s about consistency.
If you have been giving for a long time…
Excellent, well done! I encourage you and your family to dream about what it looks like to continue to set giving goals. An example would be to increase your giving by 1% each year. Another example would be to create an endowment to bless a ministry beyond your life. You get to decide what it looks like. The key is to put effort and intention in discerning the voice of God, and to respond to what He is asking of you.
As you begin making giving a priority in your life, you will experience many spiritual benefits. Here are a couple:
Making giving a priority gives purpose to our work. Acts 20:35 states “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Making giving a priority, denies our flesh and accepts the reality that the Kingdom of Heaven is here now. Luke 17:20-21 states, “Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
Whether you have never given before, or giving has always been a part of your lifestyle, there continues to be a call to action. A balance that needs to be achieved to continue to nurture a healthy view of money, while stewarding the gifts God blessed us with.
Wanting the crying to stop, I returned to Lillianna her slice of garlic bread. Waiting an appropriate amount of time, I asked, “May I have your Garlic Bread?” She replied with a grin, “Yes.” Her generosity was appreciated, and I’ll never forget her smile.
Ryan De Amicis
Wealth Advisor
408.758.6413
ryan@christianwm.com
