Generous GivingWe have previously stated that we have only five things that we can do with our money; give, save, invest, lend and spend. Now that you have control of your financial situation it is time to decide if you can add giving to your monthly budget. Being a Christian I feel that all that we have comes from God and that we should give a portion back. This is called a tithe, or one tenth. This is not something that we owe God; he does not need our money. I feel that it is something that He wants us to do so that we become more like Him. Even if you are not a Christian, there are still very good reasons for generous giving. Giving helps remove the importance from money for those who tend to cling too tightly to it. Giving allows us to help others now that we have gained command of our financial responsibilities. Giving sends us the message that we have more than enough. We can realize that our needs have been met and we do not need every new toy that we see on TV.
John Wesley said, "Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can."
Once you start giving, treat it like a regular monthly bill. Add your giving right into the budget and it will become automatic. I believe that we have been wired so that generous giving makes us feel good. It is usually hard to reach into your pocket at first, but once you do give something it warms your heart. Last year near Christmas I was at a store when a young boy came up to me and told me that he needed just a little more money for something that he wanted to buy for a relative. I can't remember exactly who it was for, what it was or how much money he asked for. It wasn't much more than a couple of bucks. At first I was hesitant; being the skeptical type I thought that maybe he was just going around asking everyone for money. After realizing what a small amount it was and remembering that Christmas is a special time I gave him the money. Afterward my children asked me why I gave him the money. I simply told them that although I may have just been scammed, I may have just made Christmas a lot more special for someone. Why worry about a couple of bucks if you could possibly help. I admit that this wasn't easy for me but I did feel good about doing it. I can't explain it and I do not know exactly how it works but I think that generous giving just does something special for us and how we interact with money.
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