Save More To Give More!
Years ago God helped me come up with a simple stewardship approach: "Save More To Give More!" Many of us like to save money via bargain hunting and other means (hopefully legal!). But what is the purpose of this saving? Part of it of course is so we have more to save toward other personal needs. But there is great blessing when we determine to give more as we save more. Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35) We can give a portion of what we save to help those in need, or to give to Christian ministries or various non profits that serve our community. Over the decades, God has enabled us to greater multiply our giving by following this simple approach.
Here are a couple of ways we can save more to give more:
Share memberships like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, etc. in accordance with the rules and regulations of that company in regards to sharing your membership.
Share mobile phone services.
If and when we shop garage sales, flea markets, etc. look for great deals on items not only for ourselves but especially for others who are financially challenged.
Use airline (hotels, etc) credit card deals (especially intro offers) to reduce our own travel expenses.
Shop for our clothing and other items at thrift stores like Eco Thrift, Salvation Army stores, garage sales, etc.
I realize this is not for everyone, but personally I have asked my family members to give me cash for birthday and Christmas gifts. I use this cash to shop at garage sales and thrift stores all year long which I enjoy (obviously not for everyone!) and it allows me to use the majority of the funds to buy things that bless and help others. (This also saves time and energy for them vs. buying me something.)
Of course, we can all save more by simplifying our lifestyles, downsizing, and lowering our standard of living. Spending less in general frees us to give more. Perhaps we could utilize a combination of these ways of saving more to give more?
I'm sure many of us can testify to the truth and reality of Jesus' words that it really is more blessed to give than to receive. May all of us experience more of this blessing in the Christmas season!
Pastor Louis Lee