God & the Economy (part 2)

As a follow-up to yesterday's post, here are some basic principles (from Andy Stanley) to follow to begin investing eternally and following God financially:

PRIORITY GIVING.  This means begin giving back to God first.  Don't give God the left overs.  The first check after you get paid should be to God.  Give to God right away as a priority giver.  He owns it all and asks that we put Him first in everything.  This habit builds recognition into your life that God is indeed the owner, and it puts more discipline into your financial choices.

PERCENTAGE GIVING.  This means giving back to God a percentage of our income.  The Bible teaches a practice called "tithing" which equals 10%.  In other words, for every $10 you make, you give God back $1.  That's a pretty good deal since He owns it all anyway! So what happens if you simply cannot give 10% because of too much debt, bad choices, job cut backs, etc.? First, see what adjustments you can make in your budget, and then pick a percentage and start giving that with the goal of getting to 10% or greater.  For example,  start with 2% for a few months and then jump to 3% ... 7% ... until you get to an actual 'tithe.'  Picking a % to give builds order and discipline into your budget and financial life.  It's a simple an easy step.  God will walk with you as you step with Him toward a life of full obedience.

PROMPTED GIVING.  The Bible is full of examples when individuals, churches, and in some cases cities & nations were prompted to give above and beyond the tithe to God's causes.  The Tent of Meeting (Moses) and Solomon's Temple were all built by giving prompted by God's Holy Spirit working through God's people.  Sometimes you'll hear of a specific need and God will simply "prompt" you to give.  Our Next Step campaign is an example of prompted giving, where our church responded to God's call to expand our campus for His ministry purposes.  The key is to be open and willing to respond whenever God prompts you.