Ok. This topic is so good that we couldn’t get it into one post. No one likes a blog that’s actually a book! With that, we decided to break this one up. If you haven’t read part 1 of this topic, you should stop now, go back, and read it. If you have read it, let’s keep rolling!

As you probably recall in part 1, we agreed that business is war. It’s tough. It’s gritty. And it is not for the faint of heart. We went on to highlight however that the war your business is engaged in is not the only battle going on. We highlighted that vertically minded business owners are aware of and concerned about the unseen battle and see’s their business as a Kingdom outpost. A strategic, well positioned, tactical outpost on the front lines of the fight. Your company, when equipped properly, can have a tremendous impact on the outcome. 

As a reminder, there are two approaches to making your business an effective Kingdom outpost. The first, as we covered in part 1, is simply being a good mirror of the Kingdom. Reflecting the goodness of the Kingdom inside your company as a representation of the things we are all hardwired to long for since the beginning of creation but lost due to the fall.

So now onto the second facet of being a Kingdom outpost… “external generosity”. External generosity? What do you mean external?  How is that different from regular ‘ol generosity? Glad you asked. At Speiro, we use the term “external generosity” to describe the mindset of using your business resources to be generous with, and affect the outcome of, the efforts happening outside the walls of your company. Whereas the first part of the strategy is focused on what’s happening inside your business (your culture, your people, etc), the second strategy focuses on how you can help others (churches, para-church ministries, etc) succeed in their part of the mission. 

External generosity? What do you mean external? How is that different from regular ‘ol generosity? Glad you asked.

So you might be asking, what does external generosity look like? What exactly do I do and how do I wire this concept into my business? Real quick, before we get to that, I want to address those that might be asking, why should I give out of my business. People often say, I give at home so why give from my company?  It’s a valid question and you should know in your heart why you’re doing it. Here’s a brief flyover of why. (For a deeper explanation of this topic see our post on “Why should I give out of my business”). At Speiro our perspective is three-fold (going super quick here). First, there is a huge need on the front lines for more resources.  If the leadership in your church or ministry have a vision for how to advance the gospel, chances are they need resources and the biggest of those probably being money.  We should engage in that need and help in whatever way we can. Second, your business is not unlike the first fruits that God speaks of in Deuteronomy 26. God instructs the Israelites to give from the harvest of their portion of the land before any of it is taken home or sold because of what God did to break the bonds of slavery and bring them through the waters of salvation. And yes, all the theologians in the room are going to point out, that this is not a New Testament command. Got it…but neither is fasting. It’s the heart in which we give back to God for breaking the bonds of slavery in our own lives and giving us a business that provides for our families.  Giving back to him from your proceeds (before anything is taken home) is an act of faith that acknowledges God is in control of the outcome of your company. Lastly, there is something different about giving out of your company. There are resources available in your company that are simply larger and more diverse than what you have in your home. That includes money, time, talent and expertise, space, supplies…you name it.  If you turn it over the Lord you’ll be amazed at how he can use the resources inside your company. 

Ok, so there’s a little bit of the “why”. Now back to the tactical stuff. The how. The first step in all cases is to take a hard look at the battle happening outside your doors and ask yourself…what am I passionate about?

If I’m going to be a Kingdom outpost, what front lines do I want to be sent to? Find something that gets you out of bed in the morning. It’s really critical that you care about the mission. It’s critical that you care about the outcome of what you’re giving to or there really is no point in giving in the first place. The Great Commission wasn’t a casual suggestion or a box to check in our faith. We should be engaged in and concerned about this battle we’re in.  And to be clear, Jesus doesn’t need your money. The act of giving is largely for your own heart and your own spiritual benefit, not His. So, find something you can be passionate about. Hopefully, the first place you look is the church you attend. Parachurch ministries are needed and critical for many front-line efforts. But the church is the primary institution that God setup for the Good News to reach the world. We opt to give there first. Then, if you feel led, give to other organizations you are passionate about.

God has no interest in you draining your bank account only to run yourself into bankruptcy.

Now the second step…wiring up your business to support the act of giving. Giving can certainly be time, talent, expertise, etc. But for the purposes of this article we’re going to focus on how to set up your finances to give out of your profits. And just to get it out there, God has no interest in you draining your bank account only to run yourself into bankruptcy. That would be in the category of the foolish. Proverbs has a lot to say about the fool so don’t be that guy. He wants your Kingdom outpost to remain intact.

That doesn’t mean you don’t give sacrificially where you can. But sacrificial isn’t the same as reckless. At Speiro, we strongly suggest that you adopt the Speiro Way of setting up accounts for your profits and your giving. The Speiro Way is a simple, yet effective approach to your budgeting and planning. We have a post on this so check it out for more detail. But the ultra-simple, back-of-the-napkin version is this. In your bookkeeping processes, create a specific account for giving. Using this account, you commit to yourself and the Lord to transfer some amount of money into each month. It can be $1 or it can be $10,000. Some businesses are crushing it and have nice margins each month. If that’s you, praise the Lord.  Others are just getting started or may be in a tough season. Doesn’t matter…give something. Remember, this is an act of thankfulness and faith unto the Lord for providing for your family. It may only be symbolic, or it may be substantial. Either way, you are declaring to yourself and the Lord that this business is His. And then, guess what?

This is the cool part. You can leave it up to Jesus to increase the amount if He wants. In faith, you’ve done what you can. In faith you’ve said, make it more if you like Lord.  We’ll be faithful to give if you do. I am not a prosperity guy, but I have seen the Lord be incredibly faithful to those who truly desire to be a conduit of blessing to others.