Since I teach on biblical prosperity people ask me all kinds of random questions about money. Someone asked me if I thought it was okay to spend a certain amount of money on a recreational item. My challenge to them was to hear from God about the purchase, but also to consider, have they ever given that much money away in a one time gift? In other words, have they ever given away this same amount of money they were planning to spend on the recreational item in a onetime gift to fund the Kingdom of God?

This might be a good standard of measure, however I believe the Lord would be grieved if my suggestion became some kind of a legalistic rule people are required to follow. But for some, it may be a practical benchmark to consider.

I sometimes encourage people to use the “one time gift” after their local church tithe as a method to challenge themselves. If you have never given $25 away, then stretch yourself to start there. If you have never given $100 away then challenge yourself to that level. If you have never given $250 or $500 away in a single donation then take that challenge on. We should posture ourselves to give. Live to give, not to get. Success is not how much you get, but how much you give. Can we continue to challenge yourself to give larger one-time amounts?