If God leads you to give to a particular person or organization, a little bit of money will go a long way, because He will multiply your contribution both in your life and the lives of those you're trying to help.
Here are some ways you can embrace opportunities to use your money to bless others on a regular basis:
- Realize that all your money ultimately belongs to God. It is God who has given you the means to earn your income and the gift of all the other money you have. Thank God for providing your money and pray regularly for His guidance on how to be a good steward of it -- through developing a wise budget, getting and staying out of debt, etc.
- Set aside a portion of money to give away on a regular basis. Don't worry if it's just a small amount; God can use whatever you offer if you offer it with love and faith.
- Pray for God to give you compassion for people in need and open your eyes to opportunities to help them. Ask Him to prevent you from becoming comfortable with the status quo in your life and settling for mediocrity as a result.
- Think and pray about whether God would like you to help meet needs you're already aware of, such as by contributing to an organization whose cause you support. When you take some time to brainstorm, you can probably list lots of potential recipients of your donations -- food banks, libraries, homeless shelters, schools, hospitals, churches, ministry groups, and more.
- Ask people you know whether they would be willing to match some of your donations with money of their own designated to support the same efforts.
- When you give, ask God to bless that act of faith and use the money to its fullest in His work on earth. Then watch how He increases your faith and that of other people and meets practical needs in ways that are deeper than you may have expected.
- Ask God to use your giving experiences to show you more about what's truly important in life.
- Give as often as you can, making it a habit you incorporate into all aspects of your life.
Adapted from The Kingdom Assignment: What Will You Do with the Talents God Has Given You?, copyright 2001 by Denny and Leesa Bellesi. Published by Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich., www.zondervan.com, 1-800-727-3480.
Denny and Leesa Bellesi founded Coast Hills Community Church on Aliso Viejo, Ca. in 1985. The church now has more than 4,000 people attend weekly.
If someone gave you $100 that you could only use to contribute to God's work on earth, how would you use it? Why? When have you seen God take a small amount of money and multiply it to accomplish far more than you expected? Visit the Books Forum to discuss this topic. Just click on the link below.
