Our ministry was sent this video from Set Free Alliance, a ministry focused on giving clean water, rescuing children, providing mobile medical clinics, and planting churches. One of their donors, attorney Peter Manning, was deeply impacted by my book The Treasure Principle:
Peter became a “reverse tither,” with the goal to live off 10% of his income and give the rest away. I love the enthusiasm and joy in his words:
“To earn money so I can give it away, is just fun!”
“It’s a blessing that God has used me in this small fashion.”
He’s right—what a privilege to give God’s money back to Him! R. G. LeTourneau, inventor of the world’s largest earth moving machines, gave away 90% of his income. He often quoted a friend who said, “God shovels it out, and I shovel it back; but God has a bigger shovel.”
You may feel that living on 10% of your income would be impossible. But why not ask God, “Do You want me to set a basic level of income and assets to live on, then immediately give away whatever You provide beyond that?” (Regardless of whether that’s 30%, 50%, 90%, or more?)
I believe the Christian community should be filled with people who set caps on their lifestyles, giving away everything above that amount. Some call this “setting a finish line.” That means if we make a predetermined amount of money or save a certain amount, that’s it. We won’t accumulate any more. We’ll give away everything else. That isn’t sacrificial giving, it’s giving according to our ability. Yet, by most of our standards, it’s so radical we may not know anyone who lives that way.
John Wesley preached that Christians should not merely tithe but give away all extra income once the family and creditors are taken care of. He believed that with increasing income, a Christian’s giving, not his lifestyle, should increase. He began this practice at Oxford and continued it throughout his life. Even when his income rose to thousands of pounds, he lived simply and quickly gave away his surplus. He was afraid of laying up treasures on Earth, so the money went out to charity as quickly as it came in. Wesley’s practice is in keeping with Scripture (2 Corinthians 8:14; 9:11).
I urge you to embrace Christ’s invitation: “Give, and it will be given to you” (Luke 6:38). Then, when He gives you more, remind yourself why: “So that you can be generous on every occasion” (2 Corinthians 9:11). When you give more and more, as Peter Manning has discovered, you’ll experience God’s joy. When you give, you’ll feel His pleasure! And God may choose to increase your income, not to raise your standards of living, but to raise your standard of giving. What a privilege that is!
