Lots of people give money every once in a while—usually when someone asks for it. But the real power in giving comes when you give every month to the same causes. The best kind of giving adds up, little by little, month to month, year to year, like a savings account. But with giving, you’re saving more than money. If you’d like to give a portion of your income regularly, here are some steps to help you get started.
GETTING STARTED
1. PICK A PERCENTAGE
Choose a percentage of your income that you’d like to give each month. Work with that bonehead-easy budget I showed you to make sure that you can afford the amount you commit to.
Keep track of all INCOME so you’ll know how much to base your percentage on.
2. PICK A DAY
Decide which day of the month you plan to do your giving. Mark it in your calendar. Treat that day like a celebration—a festive ceremony in which you give back to God a portion he’s given to you.
3. DECIDE WHOM YOU WANT TO GIVE TO
Keep your eyes open, ask around. Needs aren’t hard to find. Do some homework to make sure the organizations are legitimate—doing what they say they’re doing with your money. And pray about it! After all, it’s God’s money, and he has something to say about where you send it.
4. COMMIT TO GIVING A CERTAIN AMOUNT EACH MONTH FOR ONE YEAR
Take an average of your last few months’ income and multiply this by your giving percentage—that’s how much you can commit every month. For example, if you make about $250 a month and you’re planning to give 10%, you’ll have about $25 in your GIVING account each month. Now divide that amount among those you plan to give to.
It’s smart to leave yourself a little pad in case you bring in less money some months. This leftover amount will show up as the growing balance on your GIVING ledger. If your income drops one month, you can use this balance to cover your giving commitment. If that balance grows and grows you can increase the amount you give to each recipient, or add a new recipient to your list.
5. TEAM UP
Don’t be afraid to team up with friends to give your giving greater impact. For example, you may not be able to afford giving $24 a month to sponsor a needy child, but if you find a friend who wants to join you, each can contribute $12 per month. If that’s too steep, find three other friends so that each of you can contribute $6. Teaming up enables you to maximize your giving.
Graduating
If you follow the above steps, you’ll take part in a successful, thrilling adventure in giving. Each month, you’ll say thanks to God, change the lives of others, and know a personal satisfaction that I cannot describe in words. But wait.
It gets better. Because soon it will be time to graduate. Each year, add a point to your giving percentage. If you give 10% this year, then graduate to 11% next year. You’ll hardly notice the increase—especially when you get a raise in your allowance or hourly wage—but it will make a big difference in your giving over time.
Imagine this: you’re 16, and you decide to give 10% of your income this year, adding a percent each year. Let’s assume that you earn about $200 a month, and you get raises every year.
If you’re really bold, you won’t wait till the new year to graduate. Instead, give your giving a raise every time you get a raise in your wage. You could be giving 20% in a few years. And if you’re an absolute maniac, you’ll start your giving at 15% or even 20% and graduate from there.
Things get totally crazy when you start working a full-time job. Imagine giving 15% of your $20,000 annual salary. That’s $3,000 in just one year. Your GIVE account would have a major impact on your world.
What could you possibly buy that would deliver this much happiness? Nothing. That’s the cool thing about giving money back to God. He always knows the perfect gifts to give. He takes back the money he’s given you, and he does stuff with it that you couldn’t even dream. He was the instigator of that first Christmas, and he’s been giving the world great stuff ever since. Give him a regular and growing portion of your income, and he’ll turn it into gifts that will rock the world. Start now with whatever you’re earning—no matter how small. And when the big bucks start pouring in, you’ll see him change the world in even bigger ways.
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