Giving in an expensive world - six practical tips

My husband and I are currently going through the process of buying our first flat in London. It’s taken years of saving, budgeting and sacrifice to get to this point. It has also been the ‘excuse’ that we’ve given when discussing generosity and increasing our financial giving. We cannot commit to that right now, we’d say; we’re saving for a deposit. Whenever we reviewed our finances, we were always in agreement that our priority was saving for a deposit in this season.

Prioritising finances and saving are wise and necessary, and we are encouraged to do so in the Bible. Stewardship’s Generosity Report shows that practising Christians are most likely to budget to give monthly donations to their chosen causes – it’s a good and wise thing to do. But the problem is, where do the excuses end and when does the abundant generosity start? Are the excuses going to continue now that we’ve managed to save for a deposit? It does not suddenly get easier once you’ve reached your goal – in fact, it might even get harder. Buying and upkeeping a home is not cheap. Living in a big city is not cheap. Saving for the future and planning for a family is not cheap. Life is expensive.

Stewardship’s research highlights that the largest barrier to giving for Christians is simply that they feel they cannot afford to give or to give anything extra.

NFP research recently found that among 18–30-year-olds, housing and rental costs, homelessness and the cost-of-living crisis were at the forefront of participants’ minds as issues that were impacting their lives. Most participants struggled to know what they could do about these important issues that feel so large and unsurmountable.

So how do we balance choosing generosity in this expensive world? How do we wisely plan, budget and save while also choosing to live radically generous lives that Jesus calls us to? We know that the world is in need, maybe more than ever before, but we are dealing with more pressure and need than ever before too.

What does the Bible say?

A quick Google search can bring up multiple articles as to why giving is good for us, but we’re also constantly bombarded by a million other things we could spend our money on. The Bible calls us to giving that is sacrificial and extravagant, but also incredibly freeing. In another Stewardship survey, 56% of all participants said that following biblical guidelines was the most motivational factor behind their giving.

Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 25 about a man who entrusts his wealth to three different people, giving different amounts according to their ability. Each one did something with it, but not all of them did something wise. The final man who had received one bag of gold said he was afraid, so he hid the gold. The master called him lazy and wicked for not using for good what had been entrusted to him, and letting fear rule his decision making.

In contrast, the men that had increased what they had been given were told, ‘You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.’

This reminds me of verse 10 in Luke 16 where Jesus says, ‘Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.’

Each of us is given something unique in accordance with what we are called to, but ultimately everything we are given is entrusted to us by God. We see in this story that when we are faithful with what God gives us, it brings Him joy! However, when we let fear rule the narrative, we miss out on all that God has got in store for us.

We must not allow fear to stop us from being obedient to Him.

Sometimes, it might feel like we cannot give because of everything else that we need to think about. Sometimes, it might feel like our financial situation means what we have to give is not worth much. Sometimes, it might feel like our generosity pales into insignificance against someone else’s. Sometimes, it feels like our generosity goes unnoticed.

However, Zechariah 4:10 says, ‘Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…’

We see time and time again that God is not about the numbers; He’s about the heart. It may feel insignificant but it takes faith, obedience and sacrifice. I like to think about generosity a bit like a muscle. We have to practise it to get better at it; it might take some time but one day what was once hard work will become easy. 

It’s a lie to believe that giving gets easier the more money you have. You are unlikely to wake up one day and want to give away everything you have. But if you start now, start small, then one day you might look back and realise that what felt insignificant has helped you become the person you are today. You have practised faith, obedience and sacrifice, which are required whether giving £10 or £10,000.

Plus, with God, He can use our ‘small’ and magnify it. He takes our treasure and transforms it into something more beautiful than we could ever do alone.

There is no ‘rule’

We all have a unique walk with God and are called to different ways of living a life for Jesus. The principles are the same, but the walking out of these are different.

There may be a property that you buy that you use for God’s Kingdom and glory. That takes sacrifice, obedience and faith.

Maybe God will ask you to pause on the property dream and invest in something or someone else instead. That takes sacrifice, obedience and faith.

There may be a time when God asks you to give away what you have saved and worked for, or to give away your bonus instead of squirreling it away for a rainy day. Maybe you do not need that new car/phone/pair of shoes right now, so that you can contribute to a charity and its life-changing work instead.

The issue is the heart. Is your heart willing? Or are you holding on tightly to what God has given you? Are you controlling God’s resources more than allowing Him control?

Whatever it is that’s holding you back, I encourage you to examine the excuses that come to mind, to silence the fear that can so often take over, and to not underestimate starting with something that feels small. For the Lord loves when we choose to give cheerfully and to trust Him (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Practical tips

1. Set a generosity budget/pot. Increase it every time your income changes. Research shows that most giving is reactive, rather than proactive, so why not be proactive in being able to be reactive? Set aside the funds ahead of time so that you can respond promptly and easily at the relevant time. A Stewardship Donor Advised Fund is a great way of doing this.
2. Give away any money you get extra to your pay cheque (e.g. as big as your bonus and as small as when you sell something on Vinted!).
3. Set a generosity goal – and get accountability. Make a plan of how you can get there and stick to it. For example, you want to be giving away 20% of your income in 5 years’ time. That’s an increase of 2% each year if you’re already tithing 10%.
4. Practise sacrificing something you want for someone else. Do I need that new outfit, or can I buy a gift for a friend instead? Do I need another coffee today, or can I buy a snack for a homeless person instead?
5. Pray for opportunities to be generous. Listen to the Holy Spirit’s promptings day to day. Pay for their coffee. Buy someone’s lunch without them knowing. Give a compliment to a stranger. Say thank you to the bus driver. Generosity does not have to be expensive.
6. Talk about your giving. It is not God’s will for our lives to feel burdened and lonely – He wants your giving to bring joy. Share out the burden and be brave in being honest with trusted people. The more you talk about it, the easier it becomes.