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| Photo by Joshua Tintner |
I really believe that most people want to be givers, at least in an ideal world. They want to be regular tithers at their church. They want to give to special missions offerings. They would like to be able to give to help the poor and needy on a consistent basis. They want to live a life of generosity.
But, they don't. Why is that? Why do people say they would like to be givers, and don't follow through? Honestly, there could be a number of different reasons. These people have financial problems and can't figure out a way to be able to give. There isn't agreement in their marriages on an amount to give. They don't think they have room in their budget to give the way they should or could, so they end up not giving anything.
The Secret To Giving
The ability to give is actually not a huge secret. You just need to put a little thought, planning, and action into the process.
The Desire to give is a great starting point. Without sufficient desire, giving will never take place at all. Allow the desire to give grow in your heart in mind. Meditate on giving. Pray to the Lord about your desire to give.
You must Plan and Prepare to give. Desiring to give is great, but the desire itself is not going to move you forward one bit. You need to sit down and create a plan. You need to determine the frequency of your giving. Once a month, bi-weekly, or every week? Will you use the ACH system to have your account automatically deducted a specific amount by your church or specific charity? Will you give online, mail in a check, or put a check or cash in a giving envelope? You also need to develop some type of plan in your budget to give. You need to put your giving at the top of the priority list, otherwise it's never going to happen. So put a giving number in the budget, even if it's a smaller number than you want. You need to start somewhere.
Execute the Plan. Here's where the "rubber meets the road." You must put your giving plan into action. It's time for giving theory to be over and done. Now you need to go online and set-up your reoccurring payment. Or, you need to write a check, put it in an envelope, and drop it into the offering plate. Whatever plan you and your spouse have developed, you must pull the trigger on your plan.
Have You Pulled The Trigger On Giving?
How about you? Would you like to be able to give, but haven't been able to execute your giving? What do you need to do to get beyond the initial desire and "theory" phase in order to actually plan out and execute your giving?
Let me encourage you today to simply take baby steps in your giving. Worry about what level your giving should be at a later time. Pick a number and then give that number. Take action. Don't wait any longer. If you keep waiting, it's never going to happen.
Do you have a giving story you would like to share?
Also, check out these related posts:
- 5 Benefits of Generosity
- The Tithing Experiment
- Become a visionary in your giving
- Extravagant Receiving Through Extravagant Giving
- Meeting Needs With Open Hands
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