But these are basic guidelines for our giving back to God, not our “bare minimum requirements”. When we offer back to God out of the abundance he has given us, we should do so not out of a sense of duty or a fear of “not crossing all the t’s and dotting all the i’s” in our spiritual journey; we should give joyfully, in a state of worship and adoration of the Giver.

How do we accomplish this? Here are some guidelines:

First, we are called to give back to God in gratitude a portion of everything we have been blessed with. There is a common catchphrase: An attitude of gratitude. When was the last time you placed your offering in the basket on Sunday morning and said, “Thank you God for giving me the ability to give this back to you.” When was the last time you volunteered at the Church and said, “Thank you, God, for this opportunity to serve others on your behalf.” How many of us use our many talents on a daily basis and remember to say, “Thank you, God, for giving me both my talent and the opportunity to utilize it.” Somewhere along the line, each of us has failed to be grateful for what we’ve been given. By giving back – in gratitude – we are able to acknowledge our thankfulness in a very tangible way.

Second, we are called to give our gifts to God in a way that best honors Him. We do this by giving to Him first, not from what is left over. This is true in all areas. If we are blessed with a talent, we are called to make sure we are utilizing that talent for the good of the Gospel. If we volunteer time, it should be carved out of our hectic schedule first, not “fit in” to what ever time we have left. If we give of our monetary resources, it should be the first action we take, not what we do if there happens to be money left over. Putting God first shows honor; including Him only as an after thought does not.

Third, we are called to give with “no strings attached.” True giving is a return of our love for God unconditionally, just as He loves us unconditionally. Funding for special projects or “pet ministries” is a wonderful thing, but those gifts should be made in excess of our regular gifts to the parish. When we volunteer, we must be willing to take direction and do things in a way consistent with the overall good of the parish, and not have an attitude of “my way or the highway.” Giving with “no strings” is serving others; giving with conditions sometimes means being served.

Finally, we are called to give in a manner that is sacrificial. Giving sacrificially makes a gift Holy, and it isn’t a true sacrifice if it is too easily given. Why is the trinket bought for you by a child (with his or her own money they were saving for a new game or toy) so special? Not because of the value of the gift, but because the child had to give up – or at least put off – something they wanted in order to make the gift possible. It is the same with God. If I say, “I’ll volunteer on Tuesday nights, because there is nothing good on TV on Tuesday’s anyway,” am I really giving my time sacrificially? As we give up or put off things that we want, we are saying to God: “I value You, more than these other things.”

These principles of giving can be a hard pill to swallow, at times. Each of us fails to give in gratitude, give in a way that honors God, or give sacrificially from time to time. Part of our Stewardship Journey is recognizing when we fail, and praying for the Grace to do better in the future. When I recognize my own faults and work to improve my “attitude of gratitude,” I am cooperating with the Grace being freely offered. In that way, Stewardship is given to us as a means to greater Grace.

As a result, there are benefits to sacrificial giving. Once you cooperate with Grace and give in a sacrificial manner, you may notice that you begin to see giving in a different light. There is a satisfaction in being generous and a fuller sense of community in the parish. There is an increased awareness of God actually being first in our lives and recognition of our dependence on Him for all that we have. And, there is a heightened sensitivity to our society’s materialism and consumerism, and an increased awareness to our own susceptibility to those things. Our giving grounds us deeper in the fullness of God’s Grace. As Martha Stewart would say, “That’s a good thing.”