To answer this question, I'll replay what a friend of mine asked me about 1 year ago. "Regarding giving/tithing, how much is enough?
My reply was not one I thought of previously. It just was HIS Timing using my mouth. I said, "Till it hurts" This meaning that it must affect you/impact your finanical choices and daily activities. Else your "sacrifice" to GOD is not a sacrifice. It is enough when it is from your lack and not your overflow.
Easier said that done, quite true. And it must be given with the right heart as we read with the account of Ananias and his wife. So the point being if it's easy to give someone something because that's what one always does, then there's no sacrifice.
Let's use restaurants as an example. If going out to eat has the same drain on finances as buying a gift from a brother or sister and there's no real mental impact either way, then a book isnt sacrifice or enough.
This is not to say we should ask for more materially from others!May it never be! I personally dont want anything except the knowledge that one is sacrificing TO THE LEVEL THAT IT GETS their own attention SIGNIFICANTLY.
To quote someone recently, they said, "If your tithe or offering really gets your attention ...then it gets GOD's attention."
I shudder to reflect on my shortcomings in this. What does this mean for us? Maybe no eating out or extras for 3 months AND tithing at the first of each month as the 10%...automatically. Whatever is a clear and present, dare I say, "hardship"...to serve others with a heart of gladness. Again easier said than done...but that, in my opinion defines "enough".
Again, until it is a significant sacrifice on one's part, no real change will happen. [u][i][b]Surrendering to GOD less than 100% is not surrender on our parts...it's a loathesome, sickening tool called "negotiation" where we have no right nor authority to use it on GOD.
I confess the beam in my own eye so I cannot loudly beat the drum and demand change for others. But I do know this prinicple to be true WHEN it is coupled with humble prayer and an agenda-less activity list.
Amen and amen