Jesus says, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them” (Matthew 6:1). The illustrations that follow include prayer and fasting, but begin with giving. When you give to the needy, He says, don’t announce it, as do the hypocrites, who want to be honored by men.

I encourage you to endeavor to “hold hands” with your wife, as Randy says above. Walk together in this without pushing or pulling too hard. Patiently keep on praying for the Holy Spirit to move in both your hearts. 

A reader wrote our ministry, “For several years my husband and I have enjoyed giving most of our discretionary income to our church and various missionaries. But lately we have been counseled that we need to be more ‘responsible’ about preparing for our future.”

The greatest legacy we can leave our children is our example of a meaningful spiritual life which includes a God-honoring attitude toward money. If you have younger kids or grandkids, a great way to teach them about generosity is through the Generous Kids Book Club.

For Nanci and me, the process of discovering God’s will about money and possessions was exciting and liberating. Our growth in financial stewardship closely paralleled our overall spiritual growth. In fact, it propelled it. 

John 3:16 is one of the best-known Bible verses: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” In short, love gives. Love gives time. Love gives money. Love gives what others might consider ours but what we know to be God’s.

Randy writes, “God’s goal is that your life would be lived by the grace of Jesus.” When we are so captured by that grace, it’s not a chore or burden to give–it’s pure joy. 

In Heaven, those whom we have influenced for Christ, directly or indirectly, will know and appreciate us and desire our fellowship. What a thought!

Randy had a video call with Becky York and many staff members from Water Mission. They talked about the multi-faceted benefits of giving. Randy shared some insights and advice about providing supporters with opportunities to give.