4 Fundamentals of Biblical Giving and Generosity
Generosity is not an option for Christians, it is a command. Though God does not command us to “give, or else.” He calls us to give because He first gave. In fact, as we seek out the fundamentals of giving, we can look to God as our primary example. God did not just tell us we need to give, nor did he simply tell us how to give, but he also showed us.
The Bible has much to say about giving. In this article, we will take the example of God’s generosity in order to understand exactly how we should give. Let’s follow God’s lead and learn the fundamentals of Biblical giving and generosity.
Fundamentals of Biblical Giving and Generosity
Out of all the topics on money mentioned in the Bible, I’m sure you already knew about the importance of giving within the Christian life. I would even go as far to say that generosity is one of the foundational principles of Christian money management. In my practice as a Certified Christian Financial Counselor, CertCFC, giving is probably the number one area in which I ended up coaching my clients in. As my good friend and author of The Money Challenge, Art Rainer says, we are not to be hoarders, but conduits through which God’s generosity flows.
Our God is so good and offers us much more than we could ever deserve through his generosity and kindness. Let’s take a look at his example throughout Scripture to understand the fundamentals of biblical giving and generosity.
Make it a Priority
As mentioned, we are supposed to act as a conduit of God’s generosity to those around us. The Bible has many examples of how we are to give our first and our best to God.
Matthew 6:33 which says to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” We can practically do this by giving to God first before we consider our own desires. This was commonly known to the Israelites as giving their firstfruits, as stated in Proverbs 3:9. This meant that whenever crops or even livestock were produced, they would set aside the first and the very best and present it to the temple as an offering to God.
Many of us today are not farmers or livestock owners (though I do love being a chicken mom myself to my 4 baby chickies!). So if we are not growing crops or raising livestock, how do we give God our firstfruits in the 21st century? The key is in Proverbs 3:9:
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops”
We are told to honor the Lord with our what? Our wealth! Crops and livestock equated to wealth back then. Today, this will mean our money and even our physical resources.
So for most of us, it means we are to give some of our gross income to God. Yes, I did say “gross” income. Before taxes, before retirement, before debt repayment, before savings, even before bill payments, we give.
This is the opposite of how most give. And maybe if you are being honest with yourself, it is different from how you currently give. For many, giving is an afterthought. Giving takes place after all the needs and wants are taken care of. And maybe, at the end of the month they will pull together a few bucks from what is left over of their income to toss into the offering plate on a Sunday.
How to Make Giving a Priority
Sadly, even though this is the norm within the church body, it is not God’s original design. God want us to make giving a top priority, therefore, asking for our first and best. This is why good money management is important! When you budget around what is important, you make room for those things.
The easiest way to put giving at the top of your “money to do list” is to create a value-based budget. Value-Based Budgeting is the process of aligning your budget and your monthly expenses with what you value most. Where you are spending your money is a clear indicator of what you prioritize in your day-to-day. With a budget based on your love for God, you can make giving a clear and top priority for your money.
Generosity is not at the end of the journey to financial health. According to the Bible, it is the starting point. Our financial decisions revolve around generosity and ensuring that we can live the generous life God has designed us to live.
Do It Proportionately
Proportionately is a nice big word that means that those who have more give more, and those who have less give less. Your giving should be proportional to what you have been given.
You probably have heard of the term tithe. Though it is often used interchangeably with the word “offering”, the word tithe simply means “10 percent.” One of the most well-known verses on tithing is Malachi 3:10. It says, “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.” (NIV)
Did you know that this is the only time in the Bible when God invites us to test him? Interesting right? He must be very serious about this whole, generosity and giving thing!
So, does this mean that 10 percent is the magic number for giving?
There is much debate surrounding this question. It is important to note that tithing is not a requirement in terms of salvation for modern-day Christians. Regardless, it does give us a good place to start because God still asks us to prioritize giving. What better way than to begin with a tithe?
Unfortunately, according to current statistics about tithing and church giving, Christians today on average are giving a smaller percentage of their income today (2.5%) than church members during the Great Depression (3.3%). If you have yet to reach 10%, do not feel discouraged. Instead, check out the tips below on how to give proportionately to your income.
For those already giving 10 percent, they may want to consider whether God wants them to give more. A tithe was never meant to be a ceiling. For some, a tithe is just a box to check to afford them the feeling of being a good abiding Christian. They don’t even think much about it anymore. When this happens, they miss out on how God would work in and through them if they pushed their giving into the sacrificial zone, which leads us to the next foundation for biblical giving and generosity.
How to Give Proportionately
If you have never tithed before I’m sure you are a bit hesitant to dive right in. Maybe you are afraid of giving a whole 10% away, or unsure how you will really make it happen with your own finances. My friend, Art Rainer has a great suggestion on how you can gradually implement the change into your money lifestyle. He calls it The Takeoff.
The Takeoff is a guide to help you go from giving nothing to giving 10 percent within 12 months.
Here is how it looks:
• Months 1-3: Give 1 percent of gross income to the local church.
• Months 4-6: Give 3 percent of gross income to the local church.
• Months 7-9: Give 5 percent of gross income to the local church.
• Months 10-11: Give 7 percent of gross income to the local church.
• Month 12: Give 10 percent of gross income to the local church.
I will say that the most difficult part is getting started. But once you do begin, you may just realize that after the first few months that giving is actually more doable than you thought. Hopefully, the excitement about being a part of building something eternal will help to motivate you each and every month to pursue greater generosity over time!
Do it Sacrificially
Of the fundamentals of Biblical giving and generosity, doing it sacrificially is probably the most difficult one to swallow. In God’s economy, the amount sacrificed always supersedes the amount given. God delights in us when we give, not out of abundance but out of sacrifice.
“And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”
Luke 21:1-4 NIV
Jesus took the time to admire the widow and her sacrificial giving. Even though the amount of her gift was very small, Jesus knew what a large sacrifice it was for her to give those two mites.
When King David went to offer God a sacrifice, a man tried to give him land and animals at no cost. In 2 Samuel 24:24, we read King David’s response: “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing” (NLT).
David knew that God would find greater delight in an offering that cost him something.
To give sacrificially means giving should create some level of discomfort. It means that we will need to forego using the money for something else. The thought that should cross our minds when we give is not, “Well, I don’t really need it” but “This means that I will not be able to do or buy what I desire.”
Consider the story of Abraham in Genesis 22. Abraham had finally been given the son he was promised all to have God asked him to give his son up. I could not imagine what kind of sacrifice this would have been for Abraham. Especially after he had waited so long for the provision of this son.
It is common to feel entitled to the money you have earned especially if you have waited for what seems like a long time to get your big break. Maybe you finally got that promotion you had been working hard for, or you just inherited a lot of money from a relative, or maybe your spouse’s company is finally profitable after starting many years ago.
It is not easy to give this way, but that is part of the reason why God asks us to give this way. But if one thing hasn’t become clear yet to you through all the Bible verses regarding money, God wants us to trust that he knows best.
How to Give Sacrificially
If giving already seems like a huge sacrifice to you to the point where you are scared away from it, consider these truths:
• Generosity requires trust in God’s promises and provision. Malachi 3:10, Matthew 6:24- 35, and Philippians 4:19 all provide promises of God’s provision.
• God does not provide an exclusion clause for giving. The Bible simply tells us to give. God will make a way where it seems there is no way. Proverbs 3:5-6, Genesis 22:9-14 and Isaiah 43 all give reminders of how God makes a way.
• God delights in obedience when obedience is not convenient. The givers the Bible celebrates are those who gave out of discomfort, not comfort. Reread 2 Samuel 24:24, Luke 21:1-4, and Genesis 22 for examples.
Do it Cheerfully
Second Corinthians 9:7 says, “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully” (NLT).
While God delights in sacrificial giving, he does not delight in miserable giving. At times the principles of sacrificial and cheerful giving may seem to contradict each other. How can you give out of discomfort and still be happy about it?
God shows us how.
Isaiah 53:10 reads, “Yet the Lord was pleased to crush him severely. When you make him a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and by his hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished” (CSB).
That first “him” is Jesus. God found pleasure in the crushing, or crucifixion, of his Son. But how? How can God find delight in the midst of pain?
He focused on eternity. He focused on the unfathomable, lasting outcome that would result from the crushing of Jesus; to be with him for all eternity.
And that is how Christians can find happiness during their sacrificial giving. Instead of focusing on all that you might be missing out on as you give away your money, refocus your mind on the eternal impact your gift will be making for the Kingdom of God.
You see, we have been invited in to play a part in the redemptive work of the Kingdom of God. It can be easy to lose sight of this mission when there are other temptations in front of us that seem instantly rewarding. But remember that a greater reward is awaiting you when you return to your Father in Heaven.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12 ESV
How to Give Cheerfully
The best way to become more cheerful as you give is to continue to remind yourself of the reward that awaits in heaven and to focus on the Kingdom impact you can have here on earth.
One way that I like to do this is to actually track my giving! I make it a personal goal to try to increase the amount I have donated to Kingdom causes each year. The best way to do this is by actually tracking all of the gifts and donations I give.
I first thought it sounded like an odd idea that would only go to puff up my ego. But after some wise friends of mine recommended it, I gave it a try. Now, it helps to encourage me and get excited about all that I get to be a part of for the Kingdom of God while here on earth!
Try it out and let me know how it works out for you!
Which one of these fundamentals of Biblical giving and generosity is your favorite? Which of them is the most difficult for you?
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