This is my first post where I try to mix religion and finances. Let's see how bad I botch it.
Using common sense of the modern era, if you're struggling to make ends meet, the first thing to cut would be charity to others. After all, you're struggling to pay your own bills, you can't afford to pay for other people.
Despite the fact that it is counterintuitive, there are several reasons that not cutting charity may be a good idea.
God says so. This is a biggie in Scripture. You are to give your "firstfruits" to God. That implies having it be the last to be cut, not the first. Proverbs 3:9 says "Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;"
Some may find this less than compelling for whatever reason. I like to try to dig a bit deeper and answer the question "why?" whenever God says so.
It puts you in good habits. When you're donating to charity, you're having to plan ahead, live with less, and work within your means. Charity donation is a bellwether for the rest of your finances. What you do with charity tends to reflect into the entire budget.
It keeps you from being selfish. This is a big theme throughout the Bible. God expends much effort trying to convince us that focusing on the self is the wrong way to go. You can see some of the consequences of this in your personal finance. It's a common theme in personal finance circle that the big purchases aren't the killers, it's the little ones. The little ones which, more often than not, start out with a simple mantra. "I've been good so far, so I deserve...". Once you get a case of the "I deserve"s, you're in trouble. Your budget will become less of an ironclad contract and more of a suggestion as selfishness and instant gratification take hold.
It "pays it forward". Whether it be karmic justice, or the genuine goodwill of helping others, it's a rare instance when one regrets being charitable. If you can derive joy from helping others, it helps to cure some of the spending urges and impulses that you develop due to boredom and depression. This, however implies more than just monetary charity, but getting out and helping the community.
It keeps your budget in check. If your budget is properly designed, you have a little extra breathing room for emergencies that may come up. If charity is on the chopping block every time the car needs an oil change, then your priorities may be skewed. Use your emergency fund, cut extra money from your fun budget, re calibrate your budget in a more charity friendly way. There are many ways to avoid the "well I had to take the dog to the vet" type excuses for not donating.
Finally, I would recommend that you do a self-inventory and figure out why you're donating or not donating to charity. Are you donating because of compassion, or is it out of some warped sense of guilt? Are you not donating because you're too absorbed in yourself, or because it's not important enough for you to use your money on? This will help you prioritize your charitable giving, and may help you understand why it's so easy to throw charity under the bus when things go wrong. Only you can decide where charity belongs in your budget.
WOTD: Delectation - enjoyment
Once you understand your motivations toward charity, you will take better delectation in it.
Using common sense of the modern era, if you're struggling to make ends meet, the first thing to cut would be charity to others. After all, you're struggling to pay your own bills, you can't afford to pay for other people.
Despite the fact that it is counterintuitive, there are several reasons that not cutting charity may be a good idea.
God says so. This is a biggie in Scripture. You are to give your "firstfruits" to God. That implies having it be the last to be cut, not the first. Proverbs 3:9 says "Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;"
Some may find this less than compelling for whatever reason. I like to try to dig a bit deeper and answer the question "why?" whenever God says so.
It puts you in good habits. When you're donating to charity, you're having to plan ahead, live with less, and work within your means. Charity donation is a bellwether for the rest of your finances. What you do with charity tends to reflect into the entire budget.
It keeps you from being selfish. This is a big theme throughout the Bible. God expends much effort trying to convince us that focusing on the self is the wrong way to go. You can see some of the consequences of this in your personal finance. It's a common theme in personal finance circle that the big purchases aren't the killers, it's the little ones. The little ones which, more often than not, start out with a simple mantra. "I've been good so far, so I deserve...". Once you get a case of the "I deserve"s, you're in trouble. Your budget will become less of an ironclad contract and more of a suggestion as selfishness and instant gratification take hold.
It "pays it forward". Whether it be karmic justice, or the genuine goodwill of helping others, it's a rare instance when one regrets being charitable. If you can derive joy from helping others, it helps to cure some of the spending urges and impulses that you develop due to boredom and depression. This, however implies more than just monetary charity, but getting out and helping the community.
It keeps your budget in check. If your budget is properly designed, you have a little extra breathing room for emergencies that may come up. If charity is on the chopping block every time the car needs an oil change, then your priorities may be skewed. Use your emergency fund, cut extra money from your fun budget, re calibrate your budget in a more charity friendly way. There are many ways to avoid the "well I had to take the dog to the vet" type excuses for not donating.
Finally, I would recommend that you do a self-inventory and figure out why you're donating or not donating to charity. Are you donating because of compassion, or is it out of some warped sense of guilt? Are you not donating because you're too absorbed in yourself, or because it's not important enough for you to use your money on? This will help you prioritize your charitable giving, and may help you understand why it's so easy to throw charity under the bus when things go wrong. Only you can decide where charity belongs in your budget.
WOTD: Delectation - enjoyment
Once you understand your motivations toward charity, you will take better delectation in it.
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 is a great verse to challenge anyone who thinks that not giving to be frugal is a good idea.
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