Giving as a percentage of household income averages between 1.7% and 2.2%, falling far shy of the 10% that God requires. With about 63% of the US population identifying as Christian, the national giving average should be skewed much higher. If cheerful giving has not been a hallmark of your spiritual disciplines, there is no time like the present to obey God’s command and bless the socks off a non-profit who needs you!

“What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is mine.” My husband and I used to joke that this was the unspoken motto of our kids when they were little. Toddlers have no qualms about grabbing a toy, snack, or any random item of interest from other people or pets. It’s rare to see a child share her cherished possessions generously. 

Like a soon-to-be retiree checks the balance of their 401(k), the believer will one day see the fruits of their labor on earth.  And as it takes many years of regular small deposits to build the retirement nest egg, so also it takes a lifetime of small deposits into the spiritual portfolio to be told, “Well done, good and faithful servant” at the end of our race.  

We’ve all been to an “all you can eat” buffet in our lives, and for many of us, it’s our favorite type of restaurant. We pick a plate and inch down the line, weaving in between the tables laden with tasty dishes, indulging our preferences in whatever amount is enticing in the moment.