Ralph: Your budget is tight.
You're working to pay off debt and savings.
Well, that just feels like a stretch right now.
And you're asking yourself in the midst of all of this, does the
idea of giving money away feel like it would just add more stress?
But what if opening your hand in generosity, rooted in faith.
Could actually be a surprise and key to find a more financial piece.
Stick with me because I'm gonna explore an interesting contradiction on today's show.
Hey there.
Welcome back to Financially Confident Christian.
I'm Ralph, and today we're gonna answer that same question that we look to
answer every day, and that's how can I become a financially confident Christian?
And we're continuing our deep dive into the series dealing
with the stress of money worries.
And if you've been listening along, and I'm so grateful that you have, I really
appreciate it, and, and I honor the fact that you come and listen to me every day.
We've covered so many practical aspects of managing money.
We talked about budgeting, and we've talked about saving and tackling debt,
and we talked about using credit wisely.
Yesterday, we talked about intentional spending and setting boundaries.
Well, today we're gonna talk, about a topic that might seem counterintuitive
when you're feeling stressed about money.
And that's generosity.
You are like, Ralph, wait a second.
Are you saying to me, I'm stressed about money and now
you want me to give some away?
Well, just listen to me for a second because I want to answer.
I want to answer this question and hear me on this.
How can giving away money possibly reduce stress, especially and hear me, especially
when you feel like you don't have enough?
Let's explore this powerful connection on today's show and ask the question.
Can we be generous from a place of faith and will that actually
help reduce my money stress?
honestly, I feel a lot of us have a genuine desire to give.
I think that's just something to build into us.
It starts as a young child.
You know, we come from this place where our parents, our mothers especially,
are given to us and given to us, and I remember as a young boy, I couldn't
wait till Christmas time or birthdays.
I didn't have much money.
I was just a little kid.
But I used to love to give and I think that's just innate
feeling that all of us have.
Maybe for you it's you like to give to your church, you see the value in
that, you see how it impacts lives.
Or maybe for you, there's a particular charity that you like.
You see what they're doing.
I remember when we were younger, my wife and I, we would always donate to Smile
Train because I saw the impact of that.
Or maybe for you, it's just I wanna give to someone in need.
' cause here's the truth, there is a deep biblical conviction about tithing.
So now you're saying Ralph.
Okay, great.
Yes, I do have these feelings, right?
But look at my budget, dude.
You see the debt?
You feel a pressure of, of not having enough saved so what
you're telling me is Ralph.
Okay.
All these things, the stress that I'm under, the budget that I'm struggling
to meet with the debt that I have.
You, you, you told me to start snowballing this debt and reducing these debts,
and I'm feeling pressure, Ralph.
And now you're saying you want me to give money and somehow that's gonna
reduce my anxiety and my stress because the self-talk is already saying this.
I be saying things like I can't afford to give right now.
I need every dollar for myself.
And if we're honest with ourselves, we've all felt that at times.
See, there's this tension, there's this tension between your desire to give.
'cause I think, like I said at the beginning, all of us have this desire to
give, and then there's this stress of your financial reality, because guess what?
That's real.
Those numbers are real.
And when you're not given, that can lead to guilt because you
feel like you should be doing it.
Maybe you are given and you have this, this terrible fear that
you're not going to have enough.
And here's the big takeaway from today.
See, it's that guilt.
It's that fear that keeps you stuck in a mindset of scarcity.
Here's the thing I want you to understand today and hear me on this.
You hear me loud and clear.
This is not what you're gonna hear on everyday financial shows.
That's what's different here.
Biblical generosity isn't just another expense.
It's not just an item on your budget.
Well, you know, I've got my car payment, I've got my mortgage payment,
I've got the electric bill, and here comes, tithing, and here comes charity.
It's just another expense.
You're off.
No, it's not.
Here's what you need to understand.
Biblical generosity is an act of worship.
It's an act of worship because here's what it is.
It's a declaration of where your trust lies.
Weren't expecting me to say that were you, but it is.
It's a declaration of what you trust in because you have to make a very
bold statement and understand that everything we have comes from God.
I say it on the show all the time, nothing that you have is yours.
And that aggravates people.
I get mean messages.
I get Facebook posts of, listen to this guy, he's lost his mind.
He's saying that what I'm working for, I don't deserve.
That's not what I said.
All I said is, everything we have comes from God.
'cause in the end, he is our ultimate provider.
He's the ultimate owner of what we have.
This is why it's so impactful because When we give, we acknowledge his ownership.
It's not ours.
We're not giving from something of ours.
We're giving his.
When we give, we're expressing a trust, a deep trust in his provision.
And think about the trust.
Even when our resources feel scarce.
That's that scarcity mentality.
it's what prevents so many people from the financial breakthroughs.
And here's the counterintuitive part.
See that act of faith, that act of deciding, yes, I'm going to give in spite
of my fear, in spite of that scarcity, that very act counters that money stress.
Where's that money stress coming from?
It stems from fear.
And here's the best part, you're gonna like this part.
It stems from self dependence.
Lemme share with you this verse from the book of Proverbs,
chapter three verses nine and 10.
It says this, honor the Lord with your wealth with the first fruits of
all your crops doesn't stop there.
Here's the best part.
Then your barns will be filled to overflowing and your vats
will brim over with new wine.
Honor the Lord with your wealth.
With your first fruits, not your second thirds or foots first fruits, your
barns will be overflowing and your vats will be brim over with new wine.
Let's continue on looking at scripture.
Second Corinthians, chapter nine, verses eight adds this beautiful statement.
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give.
Here's the tricky part, not reluctantly or under compulsion for God loves a what.
He loves a cheerful giver,
and God is able to and ready for this one.
God is able to bless you abundantly so that in all things at all times,
having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
See, here's what I want you to hear right now.
Giving breaks, money's grip on your heart.
It just rips it open.
It shifts your mindset from scarcity to abundance because it
reminds you that your security is in God, not in your bank balance.
Hear me on this.
Your security is in God, not in your bank balance.
So now you're asking Ralph, what can we do?
How do we give an a way that actually brings peace from a place of cheerfulness?
Here's my simple solution for today, intentionally.
Again, I'm Ralph's gonna use the word intentional, intentionally
prioritize giving in your budget.
As I said, make it an act of worship and trust, not just an obligation.
And you've gotta decide what generosity looks like for you.
Everybody's different.
Maybe for you it's that tithe or that tithe plus maybe you, you say, look,
I've always given 10%, but now Rob, I'm really gonna make that stretch.
I'm gonna give 15.
So maybe for you it's a different percentage.
It doesn't matter.
The amount doesn't matter.
The percentage doesn't matter.
Here's the key to it.
The key is that it's intentional.
Intentional and that it's aligned with your faith.
Make it a non-negotiable part of your financial life.
Just say this is non-negotiable.
So here's my one action step for today, and that's determine
your giving commitment.
Pray over it, ask God about it.
You know, maybe 10%.
Tie this, what you feel led to.
Or maybe you're like, Ralph, I don't give anything at all,
man, I can't do that much.
Start smaller then.
But then symbolically, you build it up and then I'm gonna encourage you.
Step two, to include giving in your budget.
Create a line called giving or, or tithe.
Then put it first.
What did the Bible say to us?
Put it first.
Make it your first root.
Make it first to show it's a priority.
Then the third thing I'm gonna encourage you to do is make a plan for how you
give, maybe for you set up auto pay.
Because like, hey, the check comes in, bang, it goes off to the charity.
Or write that check as soon as you get paid or set aside cash, but make
it consistent and make it simple.
And finally, this is my big encouragement.
Give cheerfully and prayerfully.
If you're a minister listening right now, you're probably not gonna like
what I say, but if you can't be cheerful and prayerful, then don't do it.
That's when you start praying for God to give you a heart of cheerfulness.
But give cheerfully and prayerfully as you give.
Thank God for the ability to give.
Ask him to provide you and to use your gift in a way that's impactful.
Give it with joy, not out of fear.
This helps align your money with your values and it
breaks that power of scarcity.
And the reason why it works is it strengthens your trust in God.
It brings peace even when your resources feel completely limited.
Well, how about we pray together?
Father God, we just thank you for being the source of all we have.
And we just ask that you would help us trust you, Lord.
Give us generous hearts, Lord, help us seek giving as an act
of worship, not some burden.
Oh, that's just another thing we gotta do.
And Lord, we just ask that you would guide us in faith as we honor you with
our money, which is, we all know it's not really ours, it's your money, Lord.
But guide us in faith as we honor you with your money.
And we just ask this in confidence in Jesus' name, Amen.
As you're listening right now, I just wanna encourage you today embrace
generosity, not as some financial burden, but truly as a spiritual path to peace.
'cause that's what it is, and make it a part of your plan today because
you are moving towards freedom.
And I just wanna encourage you, if today's message helps you share it with
someone else who needs to be encouraged, we need to encourage each other.
Visit financially confident christian.com/master.
That's the website.
Go there and get a free copy in my book.
The book is called Mastering Your Finances.
It's a short rebut, let me tell you right now.
It is hugely impactful.
Now, tomorrow on the show, we're gonna talk about how to
build lasting financial habits.
I That's one you don't want to miss.
So go out there and be a financially confident Christian.
You can do this.
I have confidence in you.
Have confidence in yourself.
Stay financially savvy.
God bless you, and you have a great day today.