Finding Purpose Through Giving: How to Become a Joyful Giver
As Christians, we are blessed with abundance in so many ways. But with abundance comes responsibility. God calls us to be good stewards of the resources He has entrusted to us, using them to further His kingdom and impact lives for eternity. However, many of us struggle in this area of stewardship and giving. We may give reluctantly or legalistically, not realizing the joy and purpose that comes from generous, sacrificial giving.
Giving Is About the Heart
Giving is not about how much we give, but rather our heart’s motivation behind our giving. God cares more about why and how we give than the amount. While giving does require obedience, it must first be motivated by love – love for God and love for others. When we give joyfully and sacrificially, as God gave His only Son, it ignites something in God’s heart. He sees that we desire to be like Him – extravagant givers who show love through generosity.
Managing God’s Resources
As Christians, we must recognize that God owns it all. We are simply managers of the resources He has entrusted to us, whether great or small. Our role is to steward those resources in a way that maximizes kingdom impact and aligns with God’s heart for the lost and discipleship. This means carefully considering how we earn, save, spend, and give in light of God’s purposes. It means allowing God to challenge us to give toward causes that stir passion in our hearts – the kind of giving that is sacrificial and joy-filled.
Planning with an Eternal Perspective
While most wealth management focuses on investment, tax, insurance, and legal strategies, Christian wealth management adds an eternal component. We make decisions not based on accumulating worldly wealth but on stewarding God’s resources for kingdom purposes. This influences how we invest, striving to support moral and socially conscious causes. It impacts how we utilize tax and estate planning to maximize charitable giving. And it frames how we think about insurance and legal protections, ensuring God’s resources are stewarded well even after we’re gone.
God has blessed each of us with abundance so that we can be a blessing to others. When we allow Him to transform our hearts and minds around stewardship and giving, we discover the joy of releasing our grip on worldly wealth and grasping onto eternal purpose. We find that generous, sacrificial giving is not a burden but a privilege, and it fuels God’s work in the world in ways we can only imagine. The question is, will you accept the invitation to become a joyful giver?