How To Adopt A Giving Mentality!

Think of the person that you admire the MOST in life. My guess is that they are one of the most generous people that you know. Giving is naturally linked with personal satisfaction. When we as humans are self-indulgent we will eventually feel guilty, depressed, and worthless. BUT when we give of our time, talents, and resources to others we feel as though we have made a difference in our world. Simply put, giving helps us to find purpose above and beyond ourselves. 

Ecclesiastes 5:10 - Those who love money will NEVER have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!

The question then arises: How can we adopt a giving mentality?

1) See giving as a "test" of what is in your heart! Jesus states that "wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be (Matthew 6:21)." Simply put, what you spend your money on shows what you care about in life! If someone would do an audit of your personal checking account it would become very obvious to them what you care about. If you care about others and truly want to find satisfaction in life you will give of your time, talent, and resources. If you are a Christian, giving shows that you truly believe in the promises of God that He will bless faithful givers. 

2) Give REGULARLY! The only way to adopt a giving mentality is to give regularly. Giving should become a habit. Habits become the fibers of our character or the very essence of our beings. Get in the habit of giving a regular percentage of your salary to church or other non for profit causes. Get in the habit of picking up the tab when you go out to lunch with someone. Get in the habit of going through your cell-phone and calling people who come to your attention who need help. The most generous people are so because they've been doing it regularly for awhile and have made giving a habit. 

3) SERVE! Serving and volunteering is simply another outward expression of giving. As a pastor the most important aspect to assimilate and help people become connected members of the local church is to get them to serve. When you serve you have ownership of a particular ministry or area. When you have ownership you have "skin in the game" and will really care about what you are investing time, energy, and resources towards. It's easy to write a check, but are you willing to roll up your sleeves too?

4) If you feel compelled to Give then GIVE! Many times God prompts our heart to give toward a cause or we feel like we need to give YET we rationalize why we shouldn't give. We move that prompting to the back of our mind and quickly forget about it. In general, a person has 10 seconds to act on a prompting or they never will. People who are generous not only give regularly but they give to needs that God brings across their radar and that tugs at their heart too!

I'm curious, what are some other ways in which YOU have seen in others or you are personally trying to adopt to help you become a more generous person?