Mirror Your Giving

TOPIC: Mirror What You Give

FOUNDATION SCRIPTURE: Matthew 19:19  (KJV)
“… and,Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: We shall love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

If we love people enough to give to help ease their suffering, we should love ourselves enough to save money to prevent our suffering.  We should at the very least do for ourselves what we do for others.

The best way to start a great savings program is to mirror what you give. The 10/10/80 Rule is a perfect way to start. The 10/10/80 Rule says that whatever you are paid or receive as income you distribute those funds as follows:

  • The first 10% goes to your church or local ministry (this is the tithe). 
  • The second 10% goes to your savings plan.
  • The other 80% is used to meet your living obligations.

I began to take "mirroring" a step further and applied it to every giving contribution I made. When I gave my 10% in tithes, I saved the same amount. When I contributed to the offerings, I saved the same amount. When I gave to the poor on the street or to needy families, or even to my own family members, I would make a similar contribution to my own savings. I even mirrored my many gifts to my children. Every time I paid them their allowance, I would pay myself by saving the same amount.

It worked so well that before I realized it, I had quite a bit of money saved! If you try it, you would be surprised at how much accumulates in such a short period of time.

Now, how do you make your savings work for you?
I always recommend using the three-category approach when beginning to save money.

  1. Short-Term - is used for personal items like clothing, holiday gifts, birthday presents, special occasions, and special projects like purchasing a car or house. Money Market accounts and Short-Term Bond Funds are perfect for this category.
  2. Mid-Term - maintain a basic savings account or money market account which can provide liquid emergency funds.
  3. Long-Term - These funds are designed to accumulate over time. They include accounts like an IRA (Individual Retirement Account), College Savings Plans, 401k, Mutual Funds, Stocks, Annuities and Universal Life Insurance policies.

Our savings and investments are where we measure our financial progress. It doesn’t matter how much money we make, but rather how much we keep. If we don’t contribute to our savings or investments systematically, then we are no further ahead today than we were yesterday.

We must discipline ourselves! This will not work without discipline, especially if saving is something you are not accustomed to doing systematically.
 
I understand that there are people who only save if there is something left over after they have met their obligations. I am not recommending that you start off mirroring at a higher level and applying it to every monetary gift as I have done. I am, however, suggesting that you mirror based on your own level of tithing first and then as you grow accustomed to that, increase your savings to mirror your giving in other areas in addition to the tithe.

Will it mean living with less money for those impulse buys? Maybe, or maybe not.

When people envision prosperity, most of them think of large sums of money appearing all of a sudden while others think of high income streams flowing into their bank accounts. That is a description of success, not a description of prosperity. Prosperity comes before success! Prosperity is the growth that brings us up from where we are to the level of success God intended for us.

Success does not show up for most people because they have yet to engage the principles of prosperity. For others who we consider fortunate enough to have success show up without practicing prosperity, are not able to hold on to it very long. The ones who are able to hold on to their success are the ones who make the mental adjustment and transform themselves from consumers to investors.

If we think that our income has to be substantially higher before we become disciplined savers and investors, we should reconsider. We will one day look back at all of the money we failed to keep and realize that we have missed prosperity.

To begin saving money and living below our means is to begin prosperity. For it is a choice that we can choose to begin now.

Most of us have dreams of financial independence. What is your dream? I have found that having a dream, a vision, or a clear mental picture of what we desire to achieve works as a strong incentive to be a disciplined saver. Impulsive spending does not stand a chance when we have a big vision and a solid plan of action that we feel an emotional connection to.

Remember this: The ones who are able to hold on to their success are the ones who make the mental adjustment and transform themselves from consumers to investors.

ASSIGNMENTS:

  1. Quiet your mind and wait on God for at least 5 minutes, then immediately write down your thoughts afterward.
  2. Go through today’s message again.
  3. Make up your mind today to start mirroring your giving. 

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for Your Word to me today. I ask that You remind me to save the same amount that I give to help others, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THE BOOK: YOUR PROSPERITY BLUEPRINT by Jason Hale.
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Prosperity-Blueprint-Success-Intended/dp/1614480656

QUOTE: "Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving." - Warren Buffet

DAILY BIBLE READING: 1 Samuel 27, Psalms 141, 1 Chronicles 9, Matthew 10

PROPHETIC WORD/DECLARATION: You shall lack nothing in this season. Everything that is good and from God, you shall see.

Today’s devotional was written by Jason Hale of Jason Hale Ministries.

With your ongoing faithful support, we can reach the world and connect people to God through the Gospel.  Through your giving, we can also help more people through our outreaches as the hands and feet of Jesus sharing the love and hope found in Jesus Christ.  Hurting people are transformed from the inside out as they learn what it means to live for God and be loved by Him.

You may give easily and securely using the Giving tab below on the app or the Give page on our website. May God bless you according to His promise in the scripture below. 

2 Corinthians 9:6-8
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
Notice: Until you are born again (from above), you will never know the riches of God's love and tender mercy towards you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory in this world. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Dear Lord, I come to You now, just as I am.  You know my life.  You know how I've lived.  Forgive me Lord.  I repent of my sins.  I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God,  that He died for my sins and on the third day,  He was raised from the dead.  Lord Jesus, I ask you to come into my heart.  Live Your life in me and through me from now on.  From this day forward, I belong to You, in the Name of Jesus, Amen."
 
The very moment you commit your life to Jesus Christ, the truth of His Word instantly comes to pass in your spirit. If you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, a miracle has just taken place in your life and there’s a brand-new you!  CONGRATULATIONS! Welcome to the Kingdom of God.

Please contact us and let us know that you’ve prayed to receive Jesus as your Savior.

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