What type of giver are you?

One of the great things about being debt free (except for our mortgage), is the ability to give to others when God asks. Not having any other payments gives us the freedom to give to others as opportunities present themselves. As a Christian, I have learned that it truly is better to give than to receive. If you follow Dave Ramsey, you know that baby step 7 is “Build wealth and give”. Whether you call yourself a Christian or not, having a giving attitude is something that everyone can experience. It is a lot easier to give, when you have disposable income available. That is why we teach people to get out of debt.

However, to truly enjoy the blessing of giving, you need to give with the right attitude. Too often, we feel that the act of giving is the goal, when the truth is the real goal is to give with a heart of thankfulness. Larry, over at Rich Christian, Poor Christian has a post listing 6 levels of generosity. In his list, we see how giving reluctantly can lead to giving with the right attitude. The important thing to understand is to become a giver you have to give.

One really awesome way of giving that I learned from reading First Things First: The Rules of Being a Warner by Kurt and Brenda Warner, is paying for someone’s meal at a restaurant. Not always, but often, when we are at a restaurant we will look around and try to find someone that we feel would appreciate a little help. We pay their bill (including tip) without them knowing about it. We may never know if they appreciate the gift, but I can tell you that it makes us feel a little more grateful for the things that we have.