Giving "Responsibly"

Loverboy and I have been talking a lot lately about the tension between extravagant generosity and wisely planning for our future. I feel like there shouldn't be a tension, like we can totally do both. We just haven't quite figured it out yet.

We really want to obey God in this area of our lives (along with all others) and just aren't sure what it looks like in real life. We know that giving generously and cheerfully is a good thing and will only be met with God's delight, but we also have a strong desire to be "financially responsible" and save for the future. But what is financial responsibility? Especially in the Kingdom of God? So many questions! So, tension.

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But then I read quotes like this and think, "Yeah! That's what it's all about! Let's give, baby, let's give!"

No one has ever become poor by giving. —Anne Frank 

But then I realize there is never going to be a day when I stand before God and He looks at me and says, 'I wish you would have kept more for yourself.' I'm confident that God will take care of me. —David Platt, Radical 

Generosity is what keeps the things we own from owning us. —Eugene Cho, Overrated

But then I think about being financially responsible again, and Dave Ramsey, and being able to provide for our family, and I'm all like "ok, yes, let's give, but let's do so responsibly." Which then leads me right back to the question of what does giving "responsibly" look like?

So all that to say, we still haven't come to any great solutions or had any big epiphanies... we're still just trying to figure this out. Honesty at it's finest. Thanks for letting me process!

Does anyone else struggle with this tension? How have you gone about reconciling these two ideas in your own life? Any good verses for us?

Giving: Radical

As I have been raising support for this grand new adventure God has for KC and I, I have been learning so much about giving. We have had to study what the Bible says about giving, have heard countless God-stories of our fellow EDGErs and the experiences they are having with support raising, and have been reading books on God and finances. 

So I've been learning a lot. 

The first little tidbit I'd like to share with you is this quote from the book Radical by David Platt [a great, but difficult-to-swallow read, btw]. In his book, Platt speaks of living a radical life, not a comfortable American-dream life. A rich guy talked about selling his possessions and giving away his money in this way:

 “I WONDER AT SOME POINTS IF I’M BEING IRRESPONSIBLE OR UNWISE. BUT THEN I REALIZE THERE IS NEVER GOING TO COME A DAY WHEN I STAND BEFORE GOD AND HE LOOKS AT ME AND SAYS, ‘I WISH YOU WOULD HAVE KEPT MORE FOR YOURSELF.’ I’M CONFIDENT THAT GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF ME.”

Am I living in such a way that I am believing that God will wish I had kept more for myself?