When Multiply first began, Matt and Maria were not only learning how to balance their finances as a newly married couple, but they were also learning what it meant to give their first and their best in a sacrificial way.
The two prayed through what it would mean for them to give in a way that challenged their sense of comfort, but as soon as they had reached a decision regarding their two-year pledge, Matt received the news that his earning potential for the upcoming year would be cut by 25%. From the very beginning of their Multiply journey, they faced an immediate test of their decision to give audaciously.
Instead of letting the surprise news discourage their generosity, Matt and Maria not only decided to remain faithful to their commitment but also took their giving one step further. Prayerfully, they obeyed what they sensed God was prompting: to tithe Matt’s first commission check of the year. They truly wanted to give their first and their best to God.
“You don’t realize the hold money has on you until you give it away,” Matt said. “I had to break away from thinking ‘I deserve this, I earned this’ in order to trust God to use and multiply the money we gave, which was His from the beginning anyway.”
Giving sacrificially continues to challenge Matt and Maria to rely on God in new ways. “You can’t give in a way that hurts when you rely on your own self to provide,” Maria said, as they seek to continue living with generosity. “Not giving is living for yourself, but being open handed with our finances allows us to see God faithfully provide.”
Matt and Maria’s giving is now second in priority only to their mortgage in monthly expenses – a goal they set early on with their Multiply faith commitment. Matt and Maria are also pursuing generosity that extends beyond their finances. Matt started volunteering as a mentor to a foster child after seeing firsthand the need for Godly influences on foster children. During this season of Multiply, Summit has set not only bold marks in financial giving, but also held the goal of seeing at least 30 Summit families become foster families. As with their giving, Matt and Maria felt God leading them to become one of those families.
“Fostering, and hopefully eventually adopting, is one way for us to clearly live out the gospel,” Maria said. “We want to be a blessing to these children because God has blessed us and loved us greatly as his adopted children.”
Whether it’s being generous with finances or through other means, Matt and Maria are continuing to learn that sacrificial giving affects all areas of their lives – work, relationships, even future plans for their family. While it’s certainly not easy, they hope to continue to rise to the challenge of giving their first and best back to God because “it’s more joyful giving this way,” Matt said. “If you don’t sacrifice to join in to the work God is doing, you’ll miss out on seeing miracles God can do with your generosity and the joy he has for us when we give him our first and our best.”
Written by Abbey Temple, volunteer writer.The Summit offers a variety of stewardship classes to help equip you to become a faithful steward.Get resources like this one directly into your inbox by signing up for the Stewardship Ministry Digest.