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Thoughts on Giving and Stewardship

Consider Thoughtful and Strategic Giving as the New Year Begins

There are many charitable causes that are worthy of of your support and many of them make a special effort to appeal to your generosity in the Christmas season. The press of the season may have led you to make hasty decisions on where and how much to give, and most of it likely was done at the end of the year. Might there be a more deliberative way that better aligns your giving with your values and more effectively furthers those values? Might we have more joy from giving if it is thoughtful and strategic as well as heartfelt?

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Prioritize Giving

The list of causes and organizations established to address worthy needs is seemingly endless. A short list might include animal protection, assistance for the disabled, Christian radio, disaster relief, education for the disadvantaged, hunger elimination, local church, missions, poverty reduction, relatives and friends in need, and saving souls. You do not have the resources to fully support every worthy cause, so how do you decide where and what to give?

If your household budget is like mine, you have limited funds to allocate across nearly unlimited options for spending, saving, and giving. Prioritization is how you allocate what God has blessed you with. Giving should be prioritize in a way that makes sense according to your ability to give and what is purposed in your heart. Many Christians believe the bulk of your giving, and your number one priority, should be to your local church. If this is your approach, great! I have seen great benefit in investing richly in the church I am a part of and it reflects my value that my first priority is not giving to a charity, but to God.

Other giving options include communities we are a part of as well as causes we care about. Determine these recipients and amounts based on where our heart is after prayerful consideration. A useful exercise might be to list the various causes you are supporting and would like to support and then arrange them by priority. You may discover that some causes you have been supporting for years may no longer be a strong priority to you and that you may get more joy from supporting something new and different. This reflection may prompt you to reassess and reallocate the amounts and causes you support. 

How Much to Give

Many Christians believe that the tithe, or 10 percent of our income, is the correct amount to give to your local church. Some, however, do not believe that tithing is a clear teaching in the New Testament, and others believe 10 percent is a minimal level of giving. A 2013 study on tithing estimates that only 12 percent of born again Christians donate 10 percent or more of their income and the average giving to churches is estimated to be less than 3 percent, which certainly suggests that many of us have room to grow in relation to our giving. Wherever you come out on this issue of the amount, your giving is ultimately a matter between you and the Lord. That said, giving can be a reflection of our attitude toward God, the generosity in your heart, and gratitude for what you have received.

The amount you give to other causes merits careful consideration and should fit within your budget, which may require re-prioritizing your spending to make it fit. It should be practical too. For example, giving $20 per year to ten different causes may not be an effective way of supporting any of these causes. If each of these causes, once having you in their donor database, sends monthly mailings, address labels, etc., you could easily prompt them to spend more than $20 per year trying to get additional donations from you. Your money might be better spent by giving $200 to just one of those causes.  

Being a Good Steward

Keep in mind that God owns everything. You are a steward, entrusted to handle the resources with which He has blessed you. With that in mind, doing some due diligence on the causes and organizations you want to support is always beneficial. There are many great questions to consider. Is the cause consistent with your Christian world view? Has this organization experienced questionable financial management? Are you aware of how our money is being spent? What percent of giving goes toward fundraising and administration and how much actually is spent on the cause? Unfortunately, not all organizations supporting a given cause are ethical or effective, and some are outright scams. As a good stewards, we need to do some homework.

Giving in the Christmas Season

The beginning of a new year is a good time to assess your giving prayerfully and in thoughtful and strategic ways. You do not have to wait until the rush of the Christmas Season to make hasty decisions on giving, trying to make up for having neglected giving the rest of the year. Think about it ahead of time. May you be richly blessed through the joy you find in both your planning and your giving.

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