10 Reasons to Give Now Rather Than Later

When I started my journey in generosity, I wanted to be rich. But it wasn’t so that I could have a lot of shiny things (although I wouldn’t have minded a few more toys). I wanted to be rich so that I could give more away.

I would hear stories about people who had the chance to give millions or release an entire business for kingdom returns, and I wanted that kind of story. My plan was to spend my life investing and growing in business and then make large gifts at the end of my career.

But as usual, God had other plans.

After speaking to hundreds of givers over the years on finish line podcast, God has absolutely convinced me that it is almost always better to give now than than later. I have found this to be true for experienced givers of all kinds, including financial advisors, philanthropy consultants, business owners, pastors, and everyday generous christians.

Among these conversations, three groups of givers consistently arrive at the same conclusion but arrive by different paths.

Path One: The Heart Givers

Heart givers are motivated primarily by the experience of giving. At their core, they give because generosity makes them come alive, filling them with sustaining gladness in a way that is hard to explain but impossible to ignore. There are several major reasons why heart givers choose not to delay their giving.

1. Experience of Joy

Generosity is one of the most joy-filled and rewarding expressions of faith. Seeing lives transformed and experiencing the freedom of open-handed living are unmatched sources of joy. Scripture famously claims in Acts 20, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

God is able to provide more seed for sowing tomorrow, as Paul notes in 2 Corinthians 9:10. The joy of giving generously can be experienced today. 

2. Relational Depth

Generosity is profoundly relational. When you give alongside others, you invest in personal connection. When you partner with organizations, you become part of a shared mission and community.

While the relationships themselves are rewarding, they often shape our giving throughout time. Waiting to give delays the collaboration, shared experience, and mutual impact that is available today.

3. Capacity to Inspire Others

Generosity is contagious. Giving consistently throughout your life creates countless opportunities to inspire others to live generously. Your testimony and overflowing joy can encourage family, friends, and even strangers to step into generosity themselves.

This ripple effect has the potential to multiply your impact many times over. A life of generosity models the contentment and freedom that so often come from giving, inviting others to experience the same. If you wait to give, you miss the chance to light that spark in those around you.

Path Two: The Soul Givers

Soul givers are motivated by surrender. They see generosity as a pathway of obedience, a means of walking closely with Christ over time. For soul givers, generosity is one of the most tangible ways they grow in faith and witness the Spirit at work. Soul givers often share a few powerful reasons for giving consistently over time.

4. Progressive Surrender

The hardest step in generosity is the first one. That initial gift requires trust, surrender, and a genuine step of faith. Yet the more you give, the more natural and life-giving the process becomes.

Generosity is like a muscle that strengthens with use. The first stretch may feel uncomfortable, but consistent training builds strength. As Jesus reflects in Luke 16, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much.”

Over time, giving evolves from a sacrificial act to an overflowing expression of intimacy and trust in God.

5. Discernment of the Spirit

Just as generosity builds confidence in God’s provision, it also sharpens our discernment of the Holy Spirit’s leading through practice, attentiveness, and obedience.

 Consistent giving trains our spiritual sensitivity. We grow more attuned to God’s guidance and experience the blessing that follows obedience. Waiting to begin delays this growth and the formation that comes through faithful response.

6. Intimacy with God

Ultimately, generosity is not about resources but about the posture of the heart. God already owns everything. What He seeks is your trust and surrender.

In Matthew 6:24, Jesus teaches that we cannot serve both God and money. Generosity is one of the most powerful ways to loosen our grip on control, align our hearts with God’s priorities, and deepen our relationship with Him. The earlier this journey begins, the sooner that intimacy grows.

Path Three: The Head Givers

Head givers are motivated by strategy and measurable impact. They seek leverage, creativity, and effectiveness, using data and evaluation to ensure their giving produces meaningful change. Several factors lead head givers to prioritize giving now rather than later.

7. Effectiveness Comes with Practice

Like any skill, wise giving requires practice. A dollar given today, along with the lessons learned from its impact, shapes better stewardship tomorrow.

Generosity is a process of growth and refinement. Regular giving builds discernment, sharpens judgment, and increases wisdom. Someone who practices generosity for years is far better equipped to allocate resources effectively than someone giving for the first time. Giving now is not only a financial investment; it is an investment in wisdom.

8. Compound Impact

In finance, compound interest is celebrated for its power to grow wealth. Yet the compound impact of generosity is even more transformative.

Consider the difference between a life changed today and one changed many years from now. A child given access to education today gains decades of opportunity that can never be recovered later. Likewise, someone introduced to Christ today may influence countless others over the course of their lifetime. Generosity is rarely a one-time event. Its effects often multiply across years and generations. Waiting to give risks forfeiting seasons of compounding impact.

9. Your Resources Might Not Be There

Jesus warns in Matthew 6:19–21 against storing up earthly treasures that are vulnerable to decay and loss. The longer we hold resources, the more exposed they are. Markets turn. Businesses fail. Health changes.

Giving today exchanges temporary resources for lasting kingdom fruitfulness. Any delay risks losing the opportunity to invest in what truly lasts.

10. You Might Not Be There

The parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:16–21 offers a sobering reminder of life’s uncertainty. The man was not condemned for his wealth, but for presuming control over the future. Planning to give someday assumes tomorrow is guaranteed, when we know that is not the case. Ron Blue captures this wisdom beautifully: “Do your giving while you’re living so you’re knowing where it’s going.” Giving today allows you to witness the fruit of your generosity and ensure it reflects the convictions of your heart.

How About You? What Are Your Reason for waiting?

For me, it was the desire for recognition and the imagined glory of large gifts late in life. Perhaps you are waiting to feel spiritually ready. Maybe you are waiting for greater financial security. Or perhaps you are confident that reinvesting your resources now will create greater capacity later.

There are seasons that call for careful discernment. Crushing debt, family instability, or unexpected trauma may require patience and wisdom. Yet in most cases, I am convinced that deeper fruit, both inward and outward, comes from giving today rather than tomorrow.

If you find yourself waiting for the right moment, don’t make my mistake. Identify one step you can take this week and watch how God responds.

This article was published in our Faithful Steward magazine, a quarterly publication filled with encouraging stories, biblical teaching, and practical tools to help you grow as a wise and joyful giver. If you'd like to begin receiving Faithful Steward, consider becoming a FaithFi partner.