“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

               -2 Corinthians 9:7

Unlike tithing, spontaneous giving is not usually planned far in advance. Whereas we might take tithes right off the top of our paycheck, immediately setting it aside for God, this kind of giving follows no definite pattern or system of rules; we give willingly when the need arises, remembering that the greedy are doomed to poverty and the generous promised a blessing (Proverbs 11:24).

Now to those of you already paying tithes, please don’t fool yourself into believing you’ve already done your share by giving 10%. Just because you do what many others fail to doesn’t earn you extra credit with God. Is a child considered prodigious when she obeys her father? She may indeed be above-average, but when sin is the average we can’t settle for that. God will use us if we let Him, but we can’t limit how much we’re willing to sacrifice.*

“I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

               -Acts 20:35

Obviously I don’t recommend donating to every charity that shows up in your mailbox or reaching for your wallet every time you see a homeless person. I find it particularly frustrating when a Christmastime donation to feed the hungry turns into a year’s worth of solicitations which often cost more than you ever gave in the first place. We should always exercise discernment, while being careful never too become so cautious that we don’t give at all.

The need is out there, and we hardly demonstrate the love of Christ by withholding good from them to whom it is due (Proverbs 3:27). Let us instead learn to give just as our Lord did: not out of necessity, but from a heart overflowing with love and compassion. In a world where nearly every need has a ministry dedicated to its resolve, all we must do is realize which of these God has called us to support. Whether it’s a periodical sacrifice to bless the persecuted church overseas, or something ongoing such as child sponsorship, let me encourage you to discover through prayer which facet of ministry God is calling you to participate in. Few things bring greater joy than knowing you have made an eternal investment with otherwise temporary resources.

*I once met a man who had made it his goal to live on 10%.