He came to me with a simple question: “Should I sell my business?” Surprisingly though, during our financial counseling session I advised him not to sell the “chicken” (his business). Instead, I said, he needed to make sure the chicken was healthy so he could give away the eggs.

 

In working out a plan to accomplish that, he set two primary goals. The first was to pay off all business and personal debt. Though he owed millions of dollars, he had been able to easily afford to service the debt through cash flow. But he decided that much debt wasn’t healthy.

 

This was a courageous decision, because at the time it ran contrary to his competitor’s actions. Everyone else flocked to the bank, borrowing all they could to take advantage of hot deals on the market.

 

His second goal was to start a six-figure giving plan that would steadily increase. That may sound basic, but by nature he wanted to take his extra money and stock it away, not give it away.

 

You may be a modestly paid wage earner who wonders how anyone could struggle with giving away more than they take home. But the reality is that the more people make it the more they worry about losing it; the higher the income, the stingier they usually become.

 

A recent government study proves my point: those earning less than $10,000 give 5.5 percent of their income to charitable causes. Those earning over $500,000 give less than 3 percent.

 

But this business was different. As a result of his two goals, he wound up with a very healthy chicken. As he liquidated debt, his business continued to prosper, building a cash-rich enterprise. When the economy soured in the early 1990s he was able to buy out practically every competitor.

 

I believe the key to this man’s astounding success was his giving. Setting it as an objective changed the way he ran his business and literally his future. When we met again some time later, he smiled broadly as he told of his annual gifts surpassing $1 million.

 

Does giving away large sums—in relation to your income—seem impossible? Maybe your finances literally have you scared to death. Too many evangelical Christians labor under the burden of desperately wanting more or fretting over “losing it all” if the economy crashes.

 

First of all, I don’t think there’s going to be a crash. Even if there is one, though, you’re driven by the wrong perspective if you constantly worry about the possibility.

 

I can’t prescribe that you give away money to overcome your anxiety. Giving is a consequence of faith and a proper perspective on money. It’s a sign that you trust God to provide for your needs. As you give more and see His faithfulness. You have less fear and give even more.

 

Developing the kind of faith that will catapult you into an optimistic cycle will come from answering the crucial question mentioned in the first paragraph: “How much is enough?” If you know, you won’t be driven by fear and greed, trying in vain to accumulate wealth for “safety.” No matter how much you get, it will never be enough.