We know the Bible says that God loves a cheerful giver, but does that mean we should give everything away? What does it look like to give generously and still have enough for our daily needs?
Giving can be a confusing topic for Christians, and some may see being generous as opposed to being fiscally responsible. Some see giving as something that is driven by emotion or even guilt. Still others seek a prescribed percentage or dollar amount they should give to make giving less of a hard decision.
If we understand the heart behind giving and biblical generosity, we’ll see that wise stewardship of the resources God has given us is not contrary to giving generously, but it actually frees us to give with a purposeful and cheerful heart! Read on for heart attitudes that fuel generous giving and practical ways to steward your finances to be able to give more.
Giving can be a confusing topic for Christians, and some may see being generous as opposed to being fiscally responsible. Some see giving as something that is driven by emotion or even guilt. Still others seek a prescribed percentage or dollar amount they should give to make giving less of a hard decision.
If we understand the heart behind giving and biblical generosity, we’ll see that wise stewardship of the resources God has given us is not contrary to giving generously, but it actually frees us to give with a purposeful and cheerful heart! Read on for heart attitudes that fuel generous giving and practical ways to steward your finances to be able to give more.
Heart Attitudes for Giving More
1. Love for God
“and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.”
2 Corinthians 8:5
2 Corinthians 8:5
Love for God leads us to give ourselves first to the Lord:
As we look to the example of the generosity of the Macedonian church, we can see that giving starts with our devotion to God! Rather than limiting our giving to just our possessions and resources, this involves a complete and total surrender of ourselves to God! God desires that we give Him every aspect of our lives in worship and gratitude. A love for God will lead us to give our lives to Him. Financial giving naturally follows as an extension of giving ourselves to God. Our money is simply one part of a whole life that belongs to Him. Everything, including our money, belongs to God as the Creator and rightful owner of all things.
Love for God leads us to give to others according to His will:
Since we first give ourselves to the Lord, it naturally follows that we seek to do His will in giving to others. Our generosity is not determined by personal preference, but by God’s desires. Scripture gives us principles for how He calls us to steward our gifts, abilities, time, money, and resources.
Throughout Scripture, we can see God’s will for us to…
To love others and seek to meet their needs.
To provide for our families He has given to us.
When we remember that everything we have belongs to God and is meant for His glory, we can seek to make wise financial decisions that reflect our love for God, whether we give, spend, or save.
As we look to the example of the generosity of the Macedonian church, we can see that giving starts with our devotion to God! Rather than limiting our giving to just our possessions and resources, this involves a complete and total surrender of ourselves to God! God desires that we give Him every aspect of our lives in worship and gratitude. A love for God will lead us to give our lives to Him. Financial giving naturally follows as an extension of giving ourselves to God. Our money is simply one part of a whole life that belongs to Him. Everything, including our money, belongs to God as the Creator and rightful owner of all things.
Love for God leads us to give to others according to His will:
Since we first give ourselves to the Lord, it naturally follows that we seek to do His will in giving to others. Our generosity is not determined by personal preference, but by God’s desires. Scripture gives us principles for how He calls us to steward our gifts, abilities, time, money, and resources.
Throughout Scripture, we can see God’s will for us to…
To love others and seek to meet their needs.
- 1 John 3:17-18 says, “But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”
- Because we love God, we are also going to love the brothers and sisters around us and want to meet their needs with the money and resources God has given us! When we love God, we can also reflect His love through generously giving the money or material things that God has first given us.
To provide for our families He has given to us.
- Because we love God, we are going to want to excel in the responsibilities that God gave us, knowing that they are a blessing.
- Some examples of responsibilities include providing for our families (1 Timothy 5:8) and earning our own living (2 Thessalonians 3:12).
- This practically looks like paying rent or a mortgage, putting food on the table, and covering other basic needs. God has called us to work and provide for our families, so when we are faithful with these responsibilities, it is a reflection of our love for Him.
- Faithfully providing for our families also doesn’t mean that we should be afraid to give in other ways! We can prayerfully plan out our finances to both provide for our families and give to the church and others.
When we remember that everything we have belongs to God and is meant for His glory, we can seek to make wise financial decisions that reflect our love for God, whether we give, spend, or save.
2. Generosity
"Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
2 Corinthians 9:7
2 Corinthians 9:7
Generosity isn’t only measured by the amount you give, but also by a heart that gives willingly and sacrificially according to one’s means. God cares more about the heart that wants to give, not just the size of the gift. This is illustrated by the poor widow in Mark 12:42–44, who gave only two coins. Though her offering was small in value, she was giving all that she had, revealing a truly sacrificial heart. In contrast, the wealthy gave out of their surplus. Although their gifts were large, they did not have the same heart of sacrifice. True generosity is marked not by abundance, but by wholehearted trust and devotion to God.
When we give, we can do so with a heart of purpose. Our giving should not be driven by pressure, duty, or fear of others’ opinions. Be careful that you are not giving to look good before others, because you feel this is what all Christians simply must do, or with a grumbling heart. We should give because we want to give. A heart of purpose sees that God has given us our money, owns our money, and wants to use His money in a way that He wants. Instead of being driven by emotions, we can prayerfully and wisely plan our giving according to our means and with joyful sacrifice. In order to give wisely, we must budget and steward our money well! When we use our finances intentionally, it opens up opportunities to give consistently! Without a purpose, we may miss out on opportunities that God puts in our lives to give, due to lacking wisdom and planning. Giving doesn’t need to only be when you have leftover money, but it can become a planned, regular occurrence.
We can also give with a heart of cheerfulness. A cheerful heart is a willing and eager heart that delights to give because we love God, not because we are forced to do it. We can see giving as a joy and a privilege when we trust God to use what we offer for His glory. A generous heart will simply desire to see God work through the resources He has entrusted us. We can cheerfully give our money that God stewarded to us, knowing that He makes all grace abound to us and sufficiently supplies everything for us already (2 Corinthians 9:8). He meets all of our needs and blesses us with abundance, both spiritually and materially, so we can freely give with joy and contentment. Because God cheerfully gave us so much in His love for us, we can reflect His love by giving cheerfully as well!
Practical Tips for Saving to Give More
How can we steward our money with love for God and generosity towards others? Here are some practical tips to help you start saving to give more!
“For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints.”
2 Corinthians 8:3-4
“For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints.”
2 Corinthians 8:3-4
A - Assess your Ability:
(“according to their ability”)
Begin with an honest evaluation of what God has given you with the goal of stewarding your resources and responsibilities with faithfulness and generosity.
Create a Budget
List all of your income, expenses, and savings
Examples include:
- Income: Paycheck, financial aid, gifts
- Expenses: Purchases, tuition, fees, retreats
- Savings: Retirement accounts, savings accounts, investments
Categorize your expenses
Fixed vs. Variable: What expenses stay the same or vary month-to-month?
Non-monthly Expenses
Essential vs. Non-Essential: What expenses are true needs and which are wants or luxuries?
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Saving Goals: Which goals are needed within a year and which will take longer to plan for?
- Fixed expenses are predictable, since you pay them regularly. The amount stays the same.
- Examples include:
- Rent or mortgage
- Monthly insurance premiums
- Minimums on your loans or other debts
- Gym memberships
- Monthly subscriptions
- Examples include:
- Variable expenses are less predictable and vary widely from month to month based on usage or consumption.
- Examples include:
- Groceries and dining out
- Utilities (electricity, water, gas)
- Gas for your car
- Entertainment (movies, events)
- Hobbies
- Clothing and personal care items
- Medical bills or doctor visits
- Examples include:
Non-monthly Expenses
- Also known as “irregular” or “periodic expenses. These do not occur every month but occur more sporadically.
- Examples include:
- Taxes
- Gifts
- Car maintenance or repairs
- Home repair
- Travel
- Annual donations to charity
- Annual subscriptions
- Annual or semiannual insurance
Essential vs. Non-Essential: What expenses are true needs and which are wants or luxuries?
- For example:
- Essential: Housing, food, utilities, medical expenses, transportation, paying down debt
- Non-essential: Dining, entertainment, leisure travel, shopping
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Saving Goals: Which goals are needed within a year and which will take longer to plan for?
- Examples of short-term saving goals:
- Building your emergency fund
- Paying off small amounts of debt
- Setting up a giving budget (e.g. servant auction, church offering)
- Retreats and conferences
- Short-term missions trips
- Examples of long-term saving goals:
- Buying a home or car
- Saving for retirement
- Funding for your child’s education
Build an emergency fund
- An emergency fund is typically 3-6 months worth of expenses that is set aside to cover unexpected expenses or loss of income. Having an emergency fund allows you to be more flexible with your budget without potentially putting yourself in debt when your more basic needs are at risk.
- Designating a specific savings account for this fund keeps the money easily accessible if needed, while also keeping it separate from daily spending accounts so you can avoid accidentally drawing from it.
- Determine what expenses qualify as an emergency expense (e.g. car accident, hospital bill, rent/mortgage, etc).
Plan your giving budget
- Prayerfully decide how much you want to give, then calculate how much of your income to set aside each month toward that amount.
- Review your budget regularly and update as your financial situation changes.
- If you already have a giving budget, regularly reviewing your budget allows you to consider how you can add to the budget to give more.
B - Be Sacrificial
(“beyond their ability”)
With a heart of love for God and others, take the time to prayerfully consider your spending and wisely determine what you can realistically give up in order to give more. Giving to others requires sacrifice and often comes at a cost—the cost of material comforts or personal convenience. Yet, even as we give up our money, we lose nothing by giving generously and wisely. When we give sacrificially, God is glorified, those around us are blessed, and we have the privilege of witnessing God at work through our service.
Adjust your savings plan to enable more giving
Adjust your savings plan to enable more giving
Track your expenses for 3 months to identify your spending habits
- Track every purchase you make, from groceries, bills, to online orders and transactions on other platforms (e.g. Venmo, Zelle, PayPal).
- This will allow you to identify what you’re spending your money on and will reveal areas where you can cut back.
- You may discover that your money gets eaten up by regular coffee runs or eating out, or perhaps your transportation costs are much higher than you realized.
Consider where you can save more (which usually will be in non-essential expenses).
- If you find that your money is being eaten up by coffee or restaurant expenses, an alternative to save money is to make food and coffee at home. Making food at home is often cheaper than buying food.
- Average cost of:
- Home-cooked meal: $4-6 per person
- Eating out: $15-25 per person
- Average cost of:
- If you find that you’re spending a lot on clothes or other personal trinkets, consider whether those are necessities or impulse buys.
- You could try giving yourself a “24-hour rule” for online purchases, where you take time to evaluate if the item is important and necessary or if it’s just a desire driven by spur of the moment.
- You could try giving yourself a “24-hour rule” for online purchases, where you take time to evaluate if the item is important and necessary or if it’s just a desire driven by spur of the moment.
- Consider low-cost or free activities. Meeting up and enjoying fellowship with others is vital for our spiritual health, but it doesn’t have to be limited to eating out at a restaurant! Many alternatives cost little to nothing.
- Utilize the outdoors: Hiking, walking in a park, going to the beach
- Museums have free admission on certain days
- Cook or bake your own food
- Play a board game or card game at home
- Sell unused items. If you have any items that you haven’t used in a while and are still in good condition, you can make extra money by selling clothes, furniture, or electronics.
Make daily spending choices that help you stay on track and even save extra so you can give more.
- Consider whether your expense is essential or non-essential, and make the decision that aligns with your budget.
- Use your budget! Evaluate the remaining amounts in your budget prior to making purchases.
- If you have a set amount you want to save, you can set up an automatic transfer from your paycheck to a savings account so you don’t forget to allocate that money or accidentally think you have more money to spend than you do.
- Pray for wisdom in stewarding your finances and giving generously according to God’s will!
C- Choose to Give
(“of their own accord”)
See giving as a grace from God, not a burden or obligation. When we recognize that all we have comes from the Lord, giving becomes a joyful response to His generosity rather than a reluctant duty. It is a privilege to give generously and use the money God gave us to further His kingdom. When we see the joy of giving, we will actively look for more opportunities to give freely and cheerfully to the Lord, trusting God to provide for our needs!
How can saving help you choose to give more?
How can saving help you choose to give more?
Consistent Giving
- Saving doesn’t compete with giving; it actually enables it. Saving allows us to give regularly, not just when we have “extra” money.
- Consider regularly giving to the church offering and being excited to see God work through different ministries.
Needs-Based Giving
- Saving prepares us to help when unexpected needs arise. By planning ahead and setting aside a giving budget, we are better equipped to respond to the unexpected opportunities to serve others in need.
- Some opportunities include giving to your church’s deacon fund, donating for someone who may need financial aid to attend church retreats, or supporting someone raising funds for a mission trip.
Growth Opportunities
- Planning ahead and saving makes it possible to participate in opportunities for spiritual growth, such as mission trips, church retreats, and conferences.
- Instead of focusing on the cost of these opportunities, we can see the eternal value of participating in trips or attending events that God can use to sanctify you and where you will be equipped to give more spiritually and serve Him more fruitfully!
Putting It into Practice: Real Life Examples
Retreats and Conferences
Goal: Attend to 3 church retreats and conferences.
Cost: $650
Time to save: 12 months
Amount per month to save: $55
Cost: $650
Time to save: 12 months
Amount per month to save: $55
Servant Auction
Goal: Buy at least one service at servant auction.
Cost: $300
Time to save: 12 months
Amount per month to save: $25
Cost: $300
Time to save: 12 months
Amount per month to save: $25
Short-Term Missions Trip
Goal: Go on a short-term missions trip.
Cost: $2,000
Time to save: 10 months
Amount per month to save: $200
Cost: $2,000
Time to save: 10 months
Amount per month to save: $200
If you want to start saving more, you can try cutting out non-essentials, such as eating out, subscriptions to entertainment services (e.g. Netflix), and buying drinks and snacks (e.g. coffee, boba, matcha, ice cream). Another option is asking for contributions to your savings goals for your birthday and Christmas gifts.
Estimated cost of eating out:
Real life examples:
Estimated cost of eating out:
- $16 for a lunch dish + $6 for a coffee or drink = $22
- $20 for a dinner dish + $8 for dessert = $28
Real life examples:
- To save $650 a year to attend church retreats and conferences, you can plan to save about $55/month over 12 months.
- You can save this amount by cutting any of these each month:
- Number of meals eating out: 3
- Number of drinks: 10
- You can save this amount by cutting any of these each month:
- To save up $300 to purchase something to support missions or other ministries, you can plan to save $25/month over 12 months.
- You could save these amounts by cutting any of these each month:
- Number of meals eating out: 1-2
- Number of drinks: 4
- You could save these amounts by cutting any of these each month:
- To save up $2,000 to go on a short-term missions trip or help send others on a trip, you can plan to save about $200/month over 10 months.
- You could save these amounts by cutting any of these each month:
- Number of meals eating out: 9
- You could save these amounts by cutting any of these each month: