Suggestions to better enable our financial giving

View your promise to give to God that which is referred to as your tithe, like an income tax. Although it is not mandatory, it is a reflection of your character and response to His grace. As the government so nicely swipes away your hard-earned money from the top of your paycheck, consider joyfully setting also the top 10% of your net, or better yet, the gross income, for the Lord's service-- before the bills, expenses, and entertainment. Do not include the tithe in your budget. Make your budget on the net assets you have after the tithe and taxes. Then, you will have a more realistic budget and keep yourself from getting into debt. That way, it is done and out of the way. Then, carefully decide to whom it should go. The primary responsibility is first to your local church, and second to ministries that are doing the Lord's work. Remember, the people who set aside the first fruits of their resources to God are dedicating themselves to God, and not themselves to themselves.

· Stewardship means not making yourself the king when there is only one King. It is not to lift us up, but to lift up the Cross. It is to think soberly of who we are in Christ.

· Stewardship is recognizing our gifts and abilities as well as opportunities, then exercising the responsibility of their care. It is also cooperation with other stewards, to work as a team.

· Stewardship is recognizing the amazing wonder and power of grace that we did not deserve.

· Stewardship means not being dishonest, not rationalizing dishonesty for personal or even Kingdom gain. We always need to bow to the covenant we have in Him not to dishonor or deceive.

· Stewardship is not the storing up of treasures for our comfort, for He is our comfort. Nor is it coveting what others have, even if we can rationalize it for Kingdom gain.

· Stewardship is taking care of the small, because it is as important as the big.

· Stewardship is not seeking the easy way out of work, but, rather, working hard.

· Stewardship is not loving and worshiping what we are to care for, while we forsake the One who gave it. It is not the material things that are evil; it is what we do with them that in violation of His character that is evil. Money, in and of itself, is not evil; it is the abuse of it that is.

· Stewardship is not being cheap and skimping so we save a little, while we waste much more.

· Stewardship is the glorification of our Lord and Savior.

· Stewardship recognizes that our giving is a grain of sand to the beach that He gave us.

· Stewardship means knowing that if we obey, God will bless us for it.

· Stewardship means not covering up our sins, but confessing, and repenting.

· Stewardship will allow us to let God be our teacher.

· Stewardship means knowing that we are in community with those around us, so, we should exercise sound judgment and encouragement.

· Stewardship means trusting in our God, who provides for our spiritual and physical needs.

· Stewardship sees tithing as an investment, with eternal values in mind, not a loss of temporary goods.

· Stewardship is a sacrifice of our will.

· Stewardship is honoring our relationships and the people around us.

· Stewardship is prospering in our maturity and relationship with Christ.

This will also allow you to give more easily and continually. We will look more at this in the following studies.

Questions

Read Hebrews 6:10; 13:16

1. Have you ever received a reward or a prize for an accomplishment you did? How did you feel? How do you feel knowing, as a person of faith, you will be rewarded by Christ Himself?

2. How can knowing that the faithful will be rewarded and the unfaithful will be damned help you to have more confidence in your growth and service?

3. Those who are in Christ will receive blessings, and those who willfully reject Him will be cursed. Is this fair? Yes or no? Why?

4. At His second coming, Jesus will be looking for those who are prepared and faithful. What have you learned to help you be prepared? How does Stewardship help?

5. When we serve God and when we give, why is it never in vain?

6. How do you feel that when you give, it is never forgotten by the One Who counts?

7. Why would God be pleased when we sacrifice?

8. Why do most people, including Christians, hate to sacrifice?

9. What can you do to be a person who sacrifices so it pleases God, and one who is mindful of the responsibly to be wise in doing so?

10. How does Stewardship please God? How can you do so more?

11. How is Stewardship worshipping God? How can you do so more?

12. How can a failure to be faithful perhaps remove far greater riches from us all because of being unfaithful or being a poor money manager?

13. What do you give, and where does it come from?

14. Do you have a daring, determined faith? How can one help you with understanding and developing a healthy biblical outlook on Stewardship?

© Richard .J. Krejcir Ph.D. 2003 Discipleship Tools www.discipleshiptools.org