“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. … Each person should do as he has decided in his heart — not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. - The Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 8:9, 9:7
The practice: A monthly practice of giving financially towards God’s Kingdom work and people
The eleventh practice in our common rule is monthly financial giving.
Financial giving is:
Motivated by God’s generosity towards us. The Message Bible translates 2 Cor 8:9 this way: “You are familiar with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us—in one stroke he became poor and we became rich.” In the rhythm of giving, we start by receiving generosity from God. Our giving, then, is not the first move or trying to rouse God into action on our behalf, but a response to what we Christ has already done.
Learning to become like our God in generosity. As with this entire series, the practice of regular financial giving is a means towards the end of becoming like our generous God and showcasing His generosity in the world.
A “test” of the “genuineness of our love”. Since money can make us “blind”, as Jesus says, our giving habits provide us with a more objective measure, opening our eyes to the motivations and idolatries that might be going on behind the scenes in our lives.
Generosity in the Bible is about living with less in order to be generous. Simply put, to be generous, we are to give of what we have (rather than what we do not) by living a simple life in order to provide for the needs of ministry, our church family and the watching world.
Some practical tips on giving:
Start by getting a handle on your finances: What do you have to give? Set a budget for this week, month or the year
Given that there is no New Testament command which corresponds 1:1 to the Old Testament commands to tithe, talk to others to give you some reference points on giving.
Our church gives away about 15% of our annual budget
Our family gives away about 10% of our annual net income - We do this by giving away about 8% monthly (often the most helpful for ministries and missionaries) and saving 2% or more to give to one or more needs that come up through the year.
Remember to start where you’re at, not where you want to be.
Involve your family - if you have kids, this is a great and practical way to learn to express the heart of Jesus together.
Give to what God has put in your life and is calling you to give towards
If Reality is your spiritual home, we have no problem suggesting you make Reality Church part of your financial priorities.
We also encourage you to give (with time, treasure and talent) to people and ministries God is calling you to support
Take some time to consider ministries you have been blessed by and people you know who are in ministry.
You can find a list of our missionaries and ministries we support here.