God gives us free will to make financial decisions, but with free will comes the responsibility to act on our decisions.

The meter man checks the meter box in my back yard to calculate my electric bill.  The tax man reviews my financial records to calculate my tax bill.  I’m not sure how medical services are reviewed and calculated but somehow I get those bills too.

Vendors of all kinds have a way of making sure they get paid. 

What about gifts to God?  Who calculates those amounts for us?  Who determines how much we should give?

God does not issue “gift invoices” in the mail box.  There is no annual gift date, as there is with Uncle Sam… or online gift tables, as there are with the IRS.

Aren’t you glad? 

God gives us free will to make these decisions on our own.  But with choice comes the responsibility to act on our choice. 

Yes, giving is a heart matter…but it’s a matter of mechanics also.  Ultimately giving comes down to financial transactions involving decision-making and processes.

Who is the decision maker in your home?  Who sets up the gift budget and keeps track of the gift appeals?  Who calls a family huddle to discuss heart-prompts from the Lord?  Who makes sure that systematic giving is in place - and that the money is there for special gifts as well?

If married, is decision-making shared by both spouses - or does one take the lead for the other? How does this work in your home?

And about the processes… whether you write checks, set up automated drafts, use online giving processes, or take cash from under the mattress, somehow the money gets to the churches, ministries, missionaries or people who need it. 

What processes work best for you?  Do you prefer all automation, manual, or a combination?  Do you prefer to give weekly, monthly or sporadically? 

You can create “giving processes” to make sure your gift record matches your heart for giving them.  Maybe you’ve noticed with all these questions that I’m asking, God has given the decision to you. That’s the responsibility that comes with our freedom.