Biblical Answer

The Bible teaches us that our giving should be motivated by a desire to honor God and to serve others, not by a desire to receive something in return. In Matthew 6:1-4, Jesus teaches us that when we give to the church, we should not do it to be seen by others, but rather to be seen by God. He says, "When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew 6:3-4) This means that our giving should be a private matter between us and God, not something that we do to impress others.

When it comes to the amount that we should give, the Bible teaches us that we should give generously and cheerfully. In 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, Paul writes, "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." This means that we should give what we can, but we should also give with a joyful heart, not begrudgingly. We should not give because we feel obligated or because we think that God will bless us if we do. Rather, we should give because we want to honor God and serve others.

In terms of the specific amount that we should give, the Bible does not provide a specific percentage or dollar amount. However, it does teach us that our giving should be in proportion to what we have been given. In Luke 12:48, Jesus says, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." This means that if God has blessed us with a lot of money or resources, we should give a larger portion of it to the church. On the other hand, if we are struggling to make ends meet, we should give what we can, even if it is just a small amount. Ultimately, the amount that we give is not as important as the attitude with which we give. We should give with a cheerful heart and a desire to honor God, rather than trying to calculate the perfect amount.