Anyone who seeks to gain control over his or her spending usually tries to follow a budget of some sort. Budgets have to be realistic, or they will end up being useless. They are designed to help us stay on track with what we decide are our spending priorities. Usually people who are self-disciplined do better with budgeting. Some of us can be very relentless in setting spending boundaries and staying within them. Others of us have a great deal of difficulty with budgeting and get frustrated with the attempt. If we are not careful, we can fall into one of two traps. We can strictly budget and make ourselves captives to our own self-imposed spending constraints, which can actually hinder our operating in faith to be generous. The other trap is to fail to bring our spending under some form of discipline, which can result in wasting money for things that don’t truly matter.
It is important for us to be disciplined with our finances while staying open to God’s call to give generously outside of or beyond our budget. This means we have to learn to live in a dynamic tension between self-control and being Spirit directed.
If we have to choose between one or the other, which should come out the winner? Your answer to this question will reveal whether or not you operate by faith or human reasoning.
If we can deny ourselves while being generous to others, we probably have become true disciples in the area of money.
Those who believe that tithing (giving 10% to the church where they are committed) is a priority, build that into the budget. Most who successfully tithe make that their first priority and use the remaining 90% for their personal budget. As we covered in a previous installment of this series, the remaining 90% still belongs to the Lord, even though it is still in our hands. We are “stewards” or managers of God’s money and are to use it as he sees fit. If we are going to learn to give generously, it is important to constantly remind ourselves of this fact. Otherwise, we start seeing our money as our own.
If the tithe belongs to the Lord (Lev. 27:30) and is a non-negotiable, offerings are made out of the generosity of our hearts on a free will basis.
There are no “rules” for being generous. It is based upon our being free in our hearts to respond generously to the Holy Spirit’s nudges and to genuine needs. This is where love, faith, and good stewardship intersect. Love and faith take us on a journey beyond the confines of what might be considered prudent budgeting into the seemingly risky realm of obedience to the Lord our Provider.
The Macedonians in Acts pleaded for the privilege of taking this journey. Consider what Paul wrote about the churches in Macedonia.
We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (ESV)
It is important to note that their generosity was not prompted by wondering what to do with their excess finances. Quite the opposite, it sprouted in the soil of affliction and extreme poverty. These were people who were not restricted in their giving by their situation.
Their faith, coupled with an earnest desire to help others, prompted their generosity, which, according to Paul, proved that they had surrendered everything to Jesus.
I am sure they were not able to give a lot of money, but they gave what the could and beyond. It was truly another example of the “widow’s mite.” (Mark 12:41-44) I wonder how God supplied their need afterward. I cannot imagine that the story ended there. The Lord our Provider probably made some amazing provisions for them in response to their faith!
When we turn over our finances to the Lord, he may ask us to do some things that do not make sense to those who still tightly control their purse strings.
Yet we still must acknowledge that God wants us to be wise stewards; so, how do we maintain financial prudence while seeking to be led by God’s spirit into generous giving? How do we do both? Depending on your “bent,” one or the other likely will be more of a challenge to you. If you are more of the generous type, you might find it easy to give but difficult to otherwise restrain your spending. If you are naturally self-controlled, you might find it easier to reign in your spending, but very difficult to let go of the money that God wants you to give.
We need God’s help to be faithful in both areas. A good first step is to pray about our finances and be very open to God’s showing us the truth about our relationship with money.
Are we hoarders, spendthrifts, wise managers, generous givers, or somewhere in the middle? We can ask God what steps we need to take to become a surrendered steward of the finances he has put in our hands. We may want others to take a look at our spending and savings in order to offer advice and insights that we might be missing. Unless our finances are in great disarray, (e.g. bankruptcy, huge credit card debt, upside down investments), it is likely we can sort things out ourselves. If we are in trouble, we probably need outside help. Regardless, the first step is turning to God in prayer and doing what he shows us.
If we have never been a giver, we can ask the Holy Spirit to teach us. We should listen to his promptings, without making a religion of rules out of it.
Our giving must stay within the realm of our faith and be prompted by our love for God and others, or it will be worthless. (1 Corinthians 13:3) Giving should be freely and joyfully done, not a mere duty.
Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 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.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NLT)
