by Rachel Hirons and Angela Giboney

It’s not every day that the federal government slips a little extra in your paycheck. But for 2011, the government reduced the Social Security withholding by 2 percent—which means a 2 percent increase in your take-home pay. Did you notice? It may be easy to write this off as a gift from Uncle Sam, but, as King David prays in 1 Chronicles, "Both riches and honor come from you (Lord), and you rule over all." If our God is a loving God and this is a blessing, then we recognize that this gift comes from him. (And to that extent, this post title is misleading. Apologies.) Two percent might not seem huge, but it's nevertheless a chance to worship God and steward this gift out of that heart of worship. As his faithful stewards, we should follow four major principles. Think about these principles when you consider what to do with your raise.

1) Our giving should be from our firstfruits.

We bring him the first of our paycheck, not just the leftovers after the government takes its cut. If you haven’t been tithing from your first fruits, or have been able to give time and talent but not treasure, this is your opportunity to increase your giving with little discomfort. If you are already tithing from your firstfruits, prayerfully consider how best to use this increase in support of the priorities God has established for you.

2) Our giving should be regular.

"On the first day of each week, each of you is to put something aside …" (1 Corinthians 16:2) Generosity is actually an evidence of someone's faith in Christ. If we are continually in a posture of facing Christ, then our giving flows out of that heart in worship to him. From a practical perspective, our faithful and consistent giving also allows the church and other organizations to create long-term initiatives, rather than being handcuffed by erratic giving.

Our giving should be 3) sacrificial and 4) cheerful.

How much do you tithe? Isn't it 10 percent? If you're poor, can you tithe less? Honestly, there's not one pat answer. It'll be different for everyone. This is a balance requiring prayer, discernment, and trust in our faithful provider. You can be cheerful or you can be worried when you deposit two coins (or a much larger sum) in the basket, like the widow in Luke 21. You can write a large check with bitterness or with humility. There is a balance of trust and sacrifice, joy and concern. The key is to be prayerful and deliberate in tithing. What has God put upon your heart? Prayerfully consider how you can follow God with this unexpected blessing for his glory and your joy. This is a great opportunity to evaluate additional giving, creating a blessing fund, paying down debt or increasing savings. You can donate extra money to Seattle's Union Gospel Mission or another local service group. Don’t let it get frittered away. If you'd like additional assistance with these choices or help in setting up a budget, email money [at] marshillchurch [dot] org. For teaching on this topic, you can watch Pastor Mark's Generous sermon series, or grab Pastor Jamie's book, Money: God or Gift. Rachel Hirons, a member of the Ballard campus, is a co-leader of the Mars Hill Financial Coaching ministry. Angela Giboney, a Shoreline campus member, is a financial coach and Certified Financial Planner.