Ever been faced with a choice of giving or not giving at church? Or while passing a homeless person on the street? Or when a friend makes a desperate plea on Facebook for help funding their missions trip to Botswana?
I struggle with the decision on whether or not I should give every single time it comes up, but in spite of my continual questioning, God continues to prove faithful to me in my finances.
Sure, I bust my butt to find new editing clients. I spend time and money to visit conferences where I can meet prospective clients (and as a huge bonus I get to promote <a href=”http://www.splicketypubgroup.com”>Splickety Publishing Group</a> and our awesome magazines) but I’m not naive enough to believe that I’m making this happen on my own.
Here’s a perfect example from this morning while on my way to church:
Right now I’m behind on what I usually give. I just am. I’ve been gone at conferences and stuff and haven’t had the chance to give like I normally do. As such, I figure I owe a certain amount (based on what I normally give) the next time I’m at church.
I thought about that number while in my car before I disembarked for church, and I realized I had other income I hadn’t yet accounted for, so I bumped it up by another $50.
I hesitated. That amount plus an extra $50 would bring my bank account dangerously close to zero after I considered my other expenses for this month. What if something unplanned should happen? What if I screw up the math (I’m a writer, after all) and I overdraw my account or something?
I had a choice in that moment. I could either trust God (easier than it sounds) or trust in myself…or in money.
This is literally all the cash I have in my wallet.
Now understand—I’m a lifelong tither. It’s something I decided to do from an early age, and I consistently give 10% or more based on my income. This is not a new idea to me.
But things have gotten tighter since I struck out on my own to make a living at my <a href=”http://www.benwolf.com/editing-services/”>freelance editing</a> career. Recently, I’ve had second thoughts about tithing.
I’ve been trying to book clients for September for the last three months. I have people interested, but their finances have to line up with my schedule—sometimes I think aligning planets would be easier. That extra $50, while small to many of you, could break me if I don’t get a new client lined up in time.
Still, in spite of my reservations, I’d made a commitment to give a certain amount based on what I earned, and I decided to do that.
(Of course when I set out for church this morning I realized I’d left my checkbook at home. So I’ll tithe next week, or I’ll drop off a check sometime this week at church.)
Today, when I got out of church, guess what I found in my email? One of my clients decided to hire me to begin working on her project in September. Coincidence? Maybe it is to you, but not to me. Never to me. I serve a God who loves me too much for me to believe that this (and most of the other good things in my life) was just a coincidence.
So here’s my challenge to you: start to give at your local church. If you don’t attend a church, find a ministry doing real, tangible good in the world and give to them. Money is finite; mercy is not.
If you’re already giving, pat yourself on the back, and then ask God to show you if/where/when you should give more. Every time I give, it stretches me, both in my finances and in my faith. Being stretched (by God) is a good thing, because then we learn to be more flexible in all things.
Here are 4 tweetable phrases you can share with your friends, if you like. (My twitter handle is @1BenWolf, by the way.) I’d be honored if you picked one and tweeted it with a link to this post.
1. Money is finite; mercy is not. To Give or Not to Give? (http://benwolf.com/?p=134)
2. Being stretched by God is a good thing because it makes us more flexible in all things. (http://benwolf.com/?p=134)
3. Would giving an extra $50 break your bank account? (http://benwolf.com/?p=134)
4. Do you trust God? Or do you trust yourself and money? (http://benwolf.com/?p=134)
What about you? When and how do you give? Please share your story in the comments below.