FIRSTFRUITS FINDINGS NEWSLETTER VOL. 11 NO. 3 June 2006 THE PATTERN OF GIVING From beginning to end, the Bible makes it clear that there is a fundamental connection between our spiritual life and our attitudes and actions concerning money and possessions. In the most recent issues of this newsletter, we talked about some biblical principles on handling our wealth. One of these principles was having a heart of generosity that gives back to God and helps others in need. In carrying out our responsibility to be generous, how should we, as Christians, establish our pattern of giving? In the next few issues of FirstFruits Findings, we will talk about 3 P’s to define a pattern of faithful giving: · Priority Giving · Proportional Giving · Periodic Giving PRIORITY GIVING The individual who gives intentionally, makes a practice of putting God first. When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, He invites us to make Him first in our lives. To integrate Christ into the financial side of our lives, we must first prioritize life around God, managing our material things to His glory. This takes thought, planning and prayer. Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7). Many times when we focus on this text, we focus on trying to attain the cheerfulness described. When the offering plate is passed or when the next solicitation for gifts is presented to us, we just don’t feel the joy if we haven’t given any real prior thought about our giving. As we reflect on the beginning portion of this verse, “…as he has purposed in his heart”, we see that there is something important that happens prior to our act of giving. There is purpose. When there is a purpose, there is planning. Giving is truly an act of worship. By prayerfully offering to God the best of what we have with hearts of love and gratitude, we worship Him who is the source of all our gifts. Many times, the reason we don’t give joyfully is because of inadequate spiritual resources rather than inadequate material resources. It is not about the money, it is about the heart. Giving a substantial portion of our income requires a faith which gives God priority in our lives. When something has priority in our lives, it is of vital importance. It commands our best attention and receives the best we have to offer. In the Bible, this is referred to as our firstfruits. This means that before anything else leaves our pocketbook, our gift of thanksgiving to God is paramount. As Herb Miller states in his book, Full Disclosure, “When you put a dollar amount on your pledge card this year, you are writing much more than how much money you intend to give. You are saying to God, ‘This is my response to the first of your Ten Commandments: I will have no other gods before you.’” ? Questions for Personal Reflection: Am I more enthusiastic about giving this year than I was last year? What’s keeping me from making giving a priority? Do I trust God will meet my needs if I give of my firstfruits? A CHILD NAMED CHARITY Charity is not the most popular name for natural born children of Christian families. Charity, however, is an increasingly common name for the child that Christian families add to their estate plan. Many people have included a “Child Named Charity” in the financial plan for their estate. Here’s how it works: Often families divide their assets equally among the children God has given them. With a “Child Named Charity”, families add another child to their plan. So if they have three children, they add a fourth child named “Charity”. Each child receives 25% of the estate and “Charity” also receives 25% of the estate. “Charity’s” share of the estate is then given to one or more charitable organizations that God has placed close to their heart. Do you have a “Child Named Charity” in your family? A Barnabas Foundation estate planner is available to meet with you to add a “Child Named Charity” to your estate plan or to answer any questions you may have in planning your estate. Barnabas Foundation works with members of the Christian Reformed Church in the U.S. and with supporters of our nearly 200 member organizations on a confidential basis and at no cost to the individual. Please call us at (888) 448-3040 to arrange a meeting. TIPS TO TRY CLEVER COST CUTTING IDEAS TO USE AT HOME A great way to teach your child how to be a smart shopper and save money is to ask him/her to be in charge of clipping grocery store coupons and keeping them organized (and accompanying you to the store). They are entitled to keep the savings and they quickly learn how to be a savvy shopper. Do you have family members who don’t know how to turn off lights when they leave a room? Install mechanical time switches (available at home improvement stores). They are available in times from 15 min. to several hours and are easy to install. After the time expires, the lights turn off automatically. RECOMMENDED RESOURCE “Full Disclosure” By Herb Miller Miller reminds us that the subject of money — whether stewardship, tithing, or simply plain old money — comes up often in the Bible. He scours all portions of the Bible to evidence what the Bible says about money and how it impacts our spiritual and temporal lives. This book identifies 20 financial themes that fall into three categories: (1) Why should we give? (2) How does giving benefit us? And (3) How should we give? Optional questions included for discussion after each chapter. $15.00 Order from Faith Alive Christian Resources www.faithaliveresources.org or 800-333-8300