Life by Design

Build a life by design, not by accident — and leave behind a story worth telling.

Give

Store treasures in heaven

Purpose: You can’t take it with you. Everything you have is temporary. The only question is what you do with it while you have it. Giving isn’t about charity—it’s about recognizing that nothing belongs to you in the first place. It’s all on loan. Generosity rewires your relationship with money. It breaks the grip of greed. It reminds you that wealth exists to bless others, not just yourself. Giving from margin is easy. Giving from the start requires faith. But it’s the starting point that builds the habit. Most people wait until they feel rich to give. They never feel rich. So they never give. That’s backwards. Giving doesn’t come after wealth. Giving creates the right relationship with wealth.

Core Idea: Give first. Give consistently. Give joyfully.

The 3 core principles:

1
Give from the start
Don’t wait until you have “extra.” Give before you feel ready, when it costs something. That’s firstfruits—the first and best, not leftovers. Giving first says God owns it all; giving last says you do. Start now. Start small if needed. Generosity is a muscle—use it to grow it.
2
Tithe to your church
Give 10% to your local church—the place that teaches Scripture, shepherds your family, and serves your community. Tithing isn’t legalism; it’s a baseline, training wheels for generosity. Most can’t imagine 10%—then do it and don’t miss it. Start with 10%. Let it normalize. Then exceed it.
3
Give joyfully, not grudgingly
How you give matters. Grudging giving is obligation; joyful giving flows from gratitude. Give because you’ve been given to. If giving hurts every time, check your heart or your amount—you may be giving from guilt or beyond what you can sustain. Give what you can with joy, not what you can’t with resentment.

OUTCOME: Freedom from greed. A heart that holds wealth loosely. The joy of being part of something bigger than yourself. Generosity changes you more than it changes anyone else.

START HERE: Calculate 10% of your next paycheck. Give it to your church before you pay anything else. Do it again next month. Build the habit.