1. Give first. Make the first use of my income an act of faithfulness to a loving Lord.

2. Give gratefully. Bring to mind God’s gifts and ways money can matter for eternity. Praise Him, and remind myself of the joy of not giving, but giving back.

3. Give faithfully. Cultivate the discipline of faithfulness, regardless of how I feel at the time.

4. Give proportionally. Compare my gifts to no one else’s and happily give from my resources.

5. Give generously. It seems like a natural law, and certainly it is biblical, that the way we give and live is measure back to us. I will give, as I would love to receive.

6. Give sacrificially. God knows when a gift comes from my heart. Practice giving in a way that expresses my love for God’s kingdom.

7. Give cheerfully. God delights in and loves a cheerful giver.

8. Give quietly. Give without fanfare. God sees, and that is all that matters. Never seek to draw attention, but be prepared to explain why I give.

9. Give personally. Invest myself, my time, and my talent. Involve myself in the privilege of returning to God with the first of all I have. Step back and allow each member of my family the same opportunity for personal involvement.

10. Give freely. Attach no strings or expectations; seek nothing—particularly public recognition—in return.

11. Give expectantly. Look for ways to share my gifts, bear another’s burden, or contribute my resources to God’s kingdom.

12. Give worshipfully. Our model is the Author of giving: “For God so loved the world that He gave…”