Christian Giving: Who Should Get Our Money?

As we progress through the first year of marriage together, my wife and I are making it a point to be good stewards of our finances. Before we got married we had both been regular tithers (my wife more so than me), so starting out a life together was going to entail a serious focus on giving. We felt such a strong conviction that we are so blessed to have found one another, to both have jobs (and therefore the resources to give), and to have hearts that just desire to help others financially. But there’s a million ways in which you can “help others financially.”

There are cancer-research foundations, organizations dedicated to fighting starvation, groups that help educate indigenous cultures about their mentally-handicapped children, and the list goes on! Should you be satisfied with sending your tithe to the church each month and that’s it? Let’s take a look at our approach (just one approach of many) to giving . . . .

Start with the Church

Don’t hear me wrong - giving to your church is very important. Regular monetary gifts supply your church with their operating income, and without those contributions there could hardly be a church for you to attend! Plus, churches that belong to Associations or Conventions are connected to a vast network which enables them to use your gifts across the world in (hopefully) the best way for God’s glory. Don’t be tricked into thinking that your “small” contribution won’t do any good and that there’s other people who can “take care of it.” Personally, I know my wife’s and my contribution won’t even keep the lights on at our church, but it’s a few hundred dollars each month that assist in providing for the church’s needs.

“Go in Peace, be Warmed and Filled….”

It is vitally important to be praying for the salvation of others. By tithing to your church (and to missionaries, in our case) you know that the Gospel is being spread by sermon, to the community and hopefully to unreached people groups abroad. But James 2:15-16 puts it very plainly:

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

Scripture makes it abundantly clear (cf. Proverbs 22:9, Luke 3:11) that in addition to yearning for the salvation of the lost, it is crucial to provide for the daily needs of the poor. We should literally be active in serving and providing for the downtrodden.

And this is where good stewardship of your finances comes into play.

Budgeting for Generosity

The way my wife and I see it, our tithe should be at least an automatic 10% of our budgeted income. It is drafted out of our account each month, and it goes directly to our church and to a few missionaries for use as they see fit. The next step, however, is making sure your budget is flexible enough to accommodate giving during the month. By “flexible” I mean that we’re living in such a way to keep our living expenses low enough so that some extra money is available for any unplanned giving even if it is just $25, $50 or $100. This plays out by simply having a friend or two over for dinner (and therefore buying extra groceries) and fellowship, sending some extra money to missionaries, or it could be providing for a need of a friend or family member who may be struggling. In most instances we don’t just hand over some cash to someone, but we will prayerfully consider the best way to help them and be ready however the Lord leads us.

If you are having trouble living out James 2:15, ask God to give you the encouragement and desire to earnestly help others through whatever cause you find appropriate. It is because of Christ who, in the most generous way, laid down his life for you; so out of appreciation of that generosity, seek to pour out generosity on others by not only spreading the word of Christ but also by providing for the daily needs of the impoverished.

Do you give? How do you budget for generosity? Meet us in the comments!

This article is from guest blogger Austin Tidmore. Austin runs a fantastic blog over at What It’s Costin’ with Austin where he tracks his budget (and financial life) for the world to see. Check it out!