God has given us two hands – one to
receive with and the other to give with. We are not cisterns made for hoarding;
we are channels made for sharing.
(Billy Graham)
In this world it is not what we take up,
but what we give up that makes us rich.
(Henry Ward Beecher)
In PART 1 (Click
HERE) we saw that Paul told the Corinthians God loves 'hilarious' givers.
In PART 2 (Click
HERE) we saw the FIRST REASON from 2 Corinthians 8-9 why God loves cheerful
givers: because joyful generosity is a mark of God's grace
In PART 3 (Click
HERE) we saw the SECOND REASON God loves cheerful givers: because this sort of
giving is a prelude to his blessing.
In PART 4 (Click HERE) we saw the THIRD reason God loves cheerful givers is because this sort of
giving is a reflection of his heart.
In this FINAL BLOG in the
series, we get the chance to apply some of this to our own giving...
Reviewing my Giving
‘For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was
rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might
become rich.’
(2 Corinthians 8:9)
How we TEND to treat
giving:
How much can I afford to
GIVE?
How we SHOULD treat
giving:
How much do I need to
KEEP?
A ‘Giving Goal’
If we're honest, most of us tend to give a
proportion of what we have available, after we have taken care of our
lifestyle.
The 100% rule described in Part 4, calls for a
radical approach to giving. Instead of considering what we can give out of
what's left, we should attempt to give as much as we can, by considering what we
actually need, then targeting the difference as our 'Giving Goal'.
Use the questions below to help you think through
what your ‘giving goal’ could be...
- What do I currently give to God's work per month? What percentage of my income is this?
- What approach best characterises my giving at the moment
a) I give a percentage of my income each month (the 'principled' approach)?
b) I give
out of my disposable income (the 'leftovers' approach)?
c) I give now
and then when I have spare cash (the 'afterthought' approach)?
d) I give as much as I can in a way some might consider reckless (the 'Christ-like approach)?
- How does my current giving to God compare to what I 'give' to myself? For example, how does my giving compare to my 'non-essential' regular expenditure (Sky TV, buying new clothes, eating out, going out, gym membership, lifestyle items etc etc)?
- Do I work to a monthly 'budget'? Am I being proactive in tracking what I spend my money on so I can save in order to give more?
- Have I ever had to go without in order to give? (If not, you're not giving sacrificially.)
- How regularly do I re-examine my giving? Has it changed as my income has changed? Has it increased to keep track with inflation?
- What do I do with one-off windfalls? Do I give a percentage of this to God?
- What do my spending habits say about what is important to me and 'where my heart' is? (Matthew 6:21)
If you want to give to God's work at Woodgreen
you can do so by setting up a standing order. If
you are a tax payer you can also fill out a gift aid form which means the church
can claim back the tax on whatever give. This will be an extra 20-40p for every
£1 you give, depending what tax band you are in.
Standing Order and Gift Aid forms can be downloaded HERE.
Standing Order and Gift Aid forms can be downloaded HERE.
Finally, to round this series off, a really helpful video that challenges us to ask three questions related to our spending:
- What does my spending say makes me most happy?
- Does my spending suggest I am collecting for this life?
- Is my spending explicitly supporting the spread of the gospel?
