Where to Begin: Starting a Habit of Generosity

If you’ve been reading my series this month, I hope you are feeling inspired to find ways in your own life to practice generosity.

But how do you start a regular giving habit?

While there is great value in spontaneous giving, there is also benefit in building a habit of generosity.

Monetarily speaking, if you are a member of a congregation or house of worship, I suggest starting with tithing.

I know tithing can be controversial, even in Christian circles. Traditionally, it literally means a tenth, the first tenth. Think of it as the best of the crop taken off the top. The church has debated how this looks in a monetary sense for years.

Some people insist that we should tithe on our gross income, or our net income. (Gross income is what we get paid before taxes and other payroll deductions and net is after). How we handle tithing if we sell a piece of property like a house or a car that is still under loan, do we tithe on the whole amount or just the profit?

While those are all good questions to ask, I prefer to keep it as simple as possible. In our household, we give God the first tenth of what we earn, pretax. I’ve been known to round up just to keep the accounting a bit easier but we stick to that basic principle.

Did you know that the Bible says our giving should be joyful and even celebratory? I’ll admit that tithing and giving electronically may have taken away from this and I don’t have an easy answer for how to solve this problem.

Biblically speaking, offerings are defined as over and above our tithe. When I give money to others churches or organizations, I don’t consider that part of my tithe. It’s extra money given with a specific need in mind. This does not mean it isn’t necessarily sacrificial in nature, but just that it’s beyond what I tithe.

There are other ways to give as a matter of habit that are less formal. It can be as simple as putting money in a Salvation Army collection bucket at Christmas time. At my house, we buy extra food items each week to go into our churches food pantry for the Backpack Buddies program that feeds local elementary school students. I don’t really have to think about it, because those items are on my weekly grocery store list the same as any other regular purchase. Building this habit has made it easier for me to remember to give, when previously I might have forgotten. (My children are also good at helping me remember. It has become a habit for them as well).

Just because something is a habit, doesn’t mean it lacks meaning. The people who benefit from our routine generosity probably don’t care if we give regularly or only when we feel like it. They are just grateful to have their needs met. But building a habit of giving helps to alter our mindset and take the focus off of ourselves on a regular basis, ultimately moving towards a less self-centered way of living.

Next – Learning to Be Helped: Accepting Generosity from Others