God calls us to give out of joy and not out of compulsion or obligation (2 Corinthians 9:7).  Yet at the same time God also calls us to give sacrificially.  While those may sound like opposing mindsets, God defines healthy generosity as joyful, sacrificial giving. 

God calls us to give in this way as an expression of our trust in Him.  God desires that our hope would not be found in money, but in Him.  The world’s approach to money enslaves us and leads us to hold all we have with clinched fists.  But Jesus frees us to recognize that everything we have belongs to Him.  It is all a gift.  With this redeemed view of money and possessions, our hearts, and our freedom we are able to open our hands and give freely of what has been entrusted to us.

As we lean into this new found freedom, we gain joy.  We don’t get there overnight, but we can get there one step at a time.

By small, consistent acts of faithfulness, we can grow into the truly generous, joyful people we long to be.  At Redeemer, we point people to these 5 steps, like rungs climbing a generosity ladder.

1. First-time givers have given once or twice.
2. Occasional givers give rarely.
3. Consistent givers give regularly.
4. Tithing givers give 10% of their income.
5. Abundant givers give over 10%.

What’s the next step for you?