Malachi 3:10 – ‘”Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my temple. Test me in this matter,” says the Lord who rules over all, “to see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until there is no room for it all.”’
By now you should have a good picture of what your income looks like. You’ve set up a savings plan. You’ve also looked at your finances in greater detail – you know how much is coming in and how much is going out – and if adjustments need to be made.
As you consider your finances, I want to introduce the concept of the 80 / 20 rule.
That is, live on 80% of what you earn and use the other 20% to give to God and prepare for your future. Plan to give at least a tithe (10%) to your local church and save at least another 10%. If you can live on less, then give and save more!
As a first step, determine what 80% of your take home income is (after tax). Now ask yourself: can I live on this?
If you aren’t currently, but you know you can make it work, then do so! If you cannot meet your needs and service your debts, then it’s time to consider how much you need to earn, to be able to live on 80%. Once you’ve determined this figure, it’s time to work out how you can earn this extra amount! Don’t conclude that you can just give less and save less, this isn’t a wise decision.
The 80/20 Rule
On top of this, God’s word asks that we be obedient to giving back to Him. He even makes a promise that if we are obedient in this, then we will be blessed beyond measure! Read again Malachi 3:10.
The big idea of being a Wealthy Christian is to be able to live life generously. You don’t have to worry about your income because you know it is supporting your lifestyle and then some. You instead get to ‘worry’ about how you can best use it to bless others!
It is my prayer for you:
- That you will find a way to live on 80% or less of your income so that you can give and save regularly.
- That you will be obedient to God’s desire for you to tithe and watch this bless your local church.
- That you will be excited about testing God in His provision after you’re obedient to tithing.
Today’s prayer:
Lord I thank you that you have promised to abundantly provide for me, if only I’ll give a little of what you’ve first blessed me with. Help me to be eager to give into Your Kingdom.
Actionable ideas:
De-clutter. Go through your house (with your spouse if you have one) and find items that you haven’t used in the last 12 months. Decide (together) if you really need them or if they can be given to someone who you know would benefit from them – a church member perhaps – or to an opportunity shop. If they’re not being used by you, they could benefit someone else.
*these posts are from Wealthy Christians, a 30 day devotional. You can download it free on Smashwords.
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