The Return From Hands-on Helping

The Return from Hands-On Helping

Be generous: Invest in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns.

Ecclesiastes 11:1, The Message

How much money would you need to improve your life? Go ahead, think about this. Talk it over with each other. After all, nearly everyone, no matter how much money he or she has, would like more. The month of April, when we pay our taxes, is bound to make you consider this question. So how much would it take to really make a difference in your life?

When asked how much money it would take to make a real difference in their lives, 33 percent of people say that an extra $100,000 in the bank would improve their lot, and 14 percent would want up to $500,000. An even million would shake things up, say 16 percent, and 24 percent calculate it would take up to $10 million.

Seems we’re all over the map when it comes to feeling financially fit, which makes sense because the value of money, as of time, is relative. Kenneth Behring is a good example. He seemed to have everything. He was affluent and generous. But something transformed him during a trip to Vietnam in 2000. The retired real estate developer was helping a relief organization bring food and medicine to a village, and there he delivered a wheelchair to a six-year-old polio victim. The girl’s reaction changed his life—so much so that he created the Wheelchair Foundation, which today delivers 10,000 wheelchairs a month worldwide.

You don’t have to be a wealthy benefactor to give with a hands-on approach. In fact, it doesn’t matter how much money you have. Giving is good for your marriage. We know that agreeing on financial matters in marriage is not always easy. We certainly don’t always see eye-to-eye on finances in our home. But a fundamental shift of attitude toward giving took place when we changed the question we were asking each other. Rather than “How much of our money should we give to God?” we learned to ask, “How much of God’s money should we spend on ourselves?” The difference between these two questions was monumental for us. With the understanding that our income is all God’s as a starting point, we eliminated much of the legalistic thinking and guilt related to giving based on a set percentage of income.

Only 13 percent of the population believes money can buy happiness. But almost everyone believes that giving generously to others brings great joy. And it does. So consider how the two of you might spend some time doing a little hands-on helping. It may be one of the most important investments you ever make in your marriage.

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.

—Carl Sandburg