Day 12: Generosity

One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn is that my money belongs to God. Every dollar. Every cent. Every credit card. Every check. No matter whose face they put on the new ten-dollar bill, that belongs to God, too. 

Sometimes it’s actually easier to acknowledge that our lives are God’s and that our bodies are God’s than to acknowledge that our money is God’s. Because . . . yikes. God is a little bit unhinged when it comes to generosity and courage and teaching us to trust, isn’t He? Jesus tells us that the last will be first, that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for a rich person to go into heaven, that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.

It's Not About the Money, Money, Money

As Jessie J. sings, it’s not about the money. It actually isn’t, at least not at the root. Tithing is about deciding which of the following two things we allow to reign in our hearts and our families: trust or worry. Do we trust that God is who He says He is? That He has our best interests at heart? That He will provide for our needs? Or will we let worry—a mindset of scarcity and fear—run the show? Fear breeds fear. Worry compounds worry. But trust? It paves the way for peace and freedom and joy and hope. And this is where God loves to break through.

Reflection/Discussion Questions

1. When it comes to money, are you more of a spender or a saver? Whether it's sporting goods, makeup, home decor, magazines, or media, what is one place you can easily spend too much money?
2. It is human nature to strive and grasp and cling to each dollar. But clinging is the opposite of freedom, and God created us to live in freedom, our hands open to receive His gifts and praise Him in unencumbered worship. It turns out that tithing is a vital key to uncluttering our finances, and having simple finances is an even more critical step to uncluttering our souls. How can opening our hands to God—ceasing to cling to every dollar—help unclutter our souls?
3. What does it mean that God wants to help “free” our finances? What would freedom look like for you?
4. What is one example of God meeting a need for you in a surprising or unexpected way?
5. Read Malachi 3:10, Matthew 6:25–30, and Acts 5:1–11. What do these passages have in common? What lesson might they have for you today?
6. Have you ever tithed (given a percentage of your income to God)? If yes, what was the experience like? Are you still tithing today? If no, what would it look like to begin?