Your Money CountsSample

THREE P’S OF GIVING

2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

In this sentence, Paul introduced a simple giving plan. I really like how Andy Stanley explains Paul’s statement in his book Fields of Gold.

In this statement, Paul eliminates the idea of giving reactively or out of guilt. God knows that someone who gives reluctantly is still thinking like an owner, not a steward. When you begin to embrace your role as a steward, you will be able to give from your heart. You’ll see yourself in partnership with God to accomplish eternal purposes and you will even start to think about creating a plan for giving. A steward doesn’t wait until the offering plate is passed to decide how much to give. It’s something to which he gives a great deal of thought (planning) because it’s something that means a lot to the steward.

Planning is central to what the Bible says about finances. Excellent planning leads to excellence in giving. A good plan provides guidelines to help you navigate through the practical issues of giving, such as how much to give and when to give.

A great giving plan includes three P’s: Priority Giving, Percentage Giving and Progressive Giving.

• Priority Giving: Giving should be a top priority in your monthly budget. By prioritizing God’s plans for your money, you avoid running short when it comes time to give to Him first.
• Percentage Giving: When you commit to give a percentage of your income, it’s cut and dry. If you truly approach your finances as if God were the owner of it all, giving a percentage back to Him is only appropriate.
• Progressive Giving: Progressively increase the percentage you give over the years. If you have been giving 10 percent for quite a few years, maybe it’s time to move up to 12 or 15.  As your income grows, so should your giving. You may think, We can’t afford to do that! If this is your reaction, you’ve forgotten that with God all things are possible. Trust Him. Take the first step and sow your first “giving seed.”

I hope you are encouraged to give to God. Cheerful generosity should be the backbone of every great giving plan. Remember, excellent planning leads to excellence in giving.