Assuming your church is a God-centered, gospel-preaching church, I want to encourage you to think about increasing your giving. Here are some reasons for doing so:
- The Bible expects us to give cheerfully (2 Cor. 9:7). In my experience—and despite what seems to be a contradiction—we give most cheerfully when we give most sacrificially. Giving to the work of God brings a joy you can’t experience otherwise.
- Many of us get stagnant in our giving. We too often give the same amount we’ve given for years, without matching any increases in income we’ve earned. We don’t think enough about our giving plans.
- Many of us give only out of our excess. We give, but seldom miss what we’ve given. That happens when we give only out of our extra dollars.
- Giving until it costs us is a faith statement. When we feel the pinch of our giving—that is, when the sacrifice is genuine—we must trust God in new ways.
- In many cases, our churches could do more ministry with more funding. I realize some churches don’t budget or spend wisely, but many, many churches handle dollars well; they just need more funds to do more ministry.
- Our increased giving tells us something about our heart. Pam and I have come to realize that increasing our giving not only provides more for God’s work, but it also helps to weaken the hold that “stuff” has on our lives.
- Giving more to God’s work likely requires better budgeting and wiser spending. Many of us waste money at times. If giving to the Lord’s work demands that we think more about how we spend, we become better stewards of what God has entrusted to us.
What are your thoughts? What would lead you to increase your giving? Even a few dollars more each week can help your congregation.
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