PRINCIPLE OF GIVING
Sharing your financial resources is a critical aspect of managing your finances as it helps you put things in right perspective. As you apply the principles, your financial position will improve, you will weather the financial storms with ease and you are likely to create a surplus. At this point, you might be tempted to cling on to your resources to guarantee your continued financial comfort or you might enhance your lifestyle as resources increase. Yet for some, the temptation is to become materialistic and push harder, diverting time away from building their social and spiritual capital to focus on growing their finances, with the unfortunate outcome of an imbalanced life.
It is important to keep in mind that everything you have is a gift. Life, health and the ability to make wealth. Everyone’s gift is unique with some having an immense ability to make money while others have little ability. We were created to live in a community, sharing what we have with those in need and receiving what we do not have from those who have. Consequently, if we share generously everyone’s needs will be supplied.
Why should we give?
As a Christian Financial Planner, my reasons for giving come from the scriptures. By acknowledging that everything belongs to God who created it, I appreciate my role as a manager of what He has entrusted to me and I am to manage it as he guides. He commands that we give generously.
Secondly, scriptures say that where my treasure is, there my heart will be also. There are only two masters to choose from, God and money. Interestingly, Christ did not say that it is hard to serve both; he said it is impossible to serve both God and money. Hence the “Treasure Principle” in the words of Randy Alcorn the author of the book by same title. Holding finances with an open hand and giving generously as God’s word says breaks the overwhelming hold money has on me. As I give generously, fully cognizant of the uncertainty of life and the economy, I am declaring that my trust is not in the financial resources I am managing, but in God, the owner of the resources.
Finally, recognizing my greatest need of a savior and my inability to meet it, yet having received the solution as a gift, makes me appreciate the gift even more. While I cannot offer the same gift to anyone, giving what I have is an expression of my appreciation for it.
Even with a good understanding of why I should give, giving does not come easy for me and probably for many people. Below are some reasons why people do not give:
- Our selfish nature and lacking in love for others
- Fear of not having enough that could be rooted in not trusting in God’s provision
- Poor planning resulting to no capacity to give
- Disobedience to God’s word that requires that we give generously
- Lack of spiritual understanding and commitment
The scriptures have so much to say regarding the principle of giving and below is just a few of the scriptures.
- 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 (ESV): Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.
- Deuteronomy 15:11 (ESV): For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’
- Mathew 19:16-30; Luke 18:18-30 The parable of the Rich Ruler
Verse 22: You still lack one thing….sell everything and give to the poor
- 1 Timothy 6:7, 18-19 (GNT): What did we bring into the world? Nothing! What can we take out of the world? Nothing!
Command those who are rich in the things of this life not to be proud, but to place their hope, not in such an uncertain thing as riches, but in God, who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share with others. In this way they will store up for themselves a treasure which will be a solid foundation for the future. And then they will be able to win the life which is true life.
- Mathew 6:24 (GNT): “You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
To build financial capital requires simultaneous and consistence application of the five principles so they can become second nature. The five principles; Spend less than you earn, create a margin, avoid use of debt, have a long term perspective and give generously, are true and relevant to all people in all economic status and circumstances. If applying the principles proves difficult for you, do not shy away from seeking help from a trusted Financial Planner.
In our next article we, will look at building social capital by applying most of the principles used in building financial capital.