Give Now or Give Later……
Give now or give later…..
Over the years we have discovered that of all the ways you can use money (lifestyle, saving, debt/taxes & giving), giving is by far the area most of us are not content or satisfied with, in our current state of affairs.
Why is that? It certainly doesn’t have to continue to be. Though most people like to give of their time, talents and treasure, there do seem to be more psychological “blocks” when parting with our treasure before we pass away. Not wanting our children to know details about how much they might inherit, and not knowing if we have enough to get us to the finish line are two of the main reasons for that hesitation.
For those of you with excess money, whether you are retired or not, consider the following:
- Does your current spending on yourself feel comfortable (i.e. lifestyle) or are you nervous when you spend money on things not planned for ahead of time? Would it be helpful to know when enough is enough, no matter your age?
Those who have accumulated and saved over their whole lives, may be the most anxious
about what the future holds, so will never feel they have enough.
- If legacy planning is important to you, would giving even to a small degree now, to your children, grandchildren, or charities while you are living, be more gratifying knowing where and what the money is funding?
If this seems uncomfortable, anxiety-causing or even scary, starting out with “baby steps” may be a good approach to take.
To leave you with an eternal principle, let me refer you to Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”
It really is true, you can’t take it with you, so maybe giving while you’re living is something to ponder.