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Resolution for 2011: "I will give my all for the Kingdom"

Every few weeks, we invite a guest blogger to write our Personal Financial Friday post. Today, we're turning today to Ben Stroup of ChurchGivingMatters.com.

Ben is a former pastor who now represents GENERIS, a company that helps churches and ministries "to develop generosity — a generosity that permeates the culture."

He is a graduate of Belmont University, and he lives with his wife and two young sons near Nashville, Tenn.

We've asked to Ben to share what he's learned about generosity, both as a pastor and as a teacher/trainer in the area of generous giving.

Take it away, Ben!

I have the privilege of traveling around the country and meeting with many people who stand in pulpits and many more who sit in the pews. And, yes, I talk with them about money and giving.

In many situations, I have been encouraged to see people exhibit an attitude of what the Bible calls "rich generosity" (2 Corinthians 8:2). Here three things in particular that I've noticed about many of the generous people I've come across:

• Their generosity is an external response to an internal reality. For them, giving is not something they see as an obligation. Rather, they see it as the only appropriate response in light of their faith in Jesus Christ. Put another way, there is an interest and discipline related to generosity that doesn’t begin or end in the realm of human things.
• Those with the greatest wealth are truly generous. Maybe we're too influenced by Charles Dickens' portrait of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, but often we think of wealthy people as being stingy. I’m consistently surprised at how the wealthy people I come across are like the transformed Scrooge at the end of the story! Indeed, in my experience, there seems to be a close connection between those who give the most and those who possess the greatest net worth. (Perhaps the best way to build your net worth is to give it away!)
• Generous people are intentional about being good money managers. Those who choose to be generous know that by managing their money well, they can continue to be generous and perhaps even increase their level of generosity. I've met people who have built a "generosity plan" that rests alongside their personal investing plan.

No one becomes generous accidentally. Financial generosity is something we decide is important to us — and for us. We must find ways to leverage the margin we have to benefit others.

Socialism seeks to bring about change by forcing people give up what they have. Generosity, on the other hand, asks us to freely share with others, with the knowledge that we are simply God's vehicles through which His money passes.

The greatest challenge — and the greatest opportunity — to living a life of Christian generosity is embracing a lifestyle that acknowledges, "All that I have, all that I am, and all that I will ever become is a gift from God, a gift to be leveraged to advance the Kingdom."

How will you respond to that challenge — and amazing opportunity — in 2011?

Thanks, Ben! If you're a Twitterer, you can follow Ben @ben_stroup.

Well, we know you may have a New Year's Eve get-together to get ready for, so here's just one more thing: Check out SMI's special end-of-the-year offer (good through today only!): a 30-day free trial Web membership.

Don't wait. Time is running out!

Happy New Year from Sound Mind Investing!

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