Growth happens progressively

Proverbs 3:5-10 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Many use the above scriptures in asking God for direction in everyday affairs of life but do not realise that giving mentioned in that scripture has alot to do with trust. When one doesn't trust God, they won't give to Him. Like the parable Jesus gave, they would take God as a hard master who reaps where He hasn't sowed.  

There's a widow woman in scripture who the Bible says gave all her living yet the rich gave only a portion from their abundance. The latter gave what couldn't reach them a place of believing God for more so that they could make it the following days or weeks. But to do so you need to trust God with your life for sustenance even in the minor things. How can we believe God for big things if we cannot do it in the little? And money is part of the little things. Giving tithes, offerings etc has everything to do with trusting God. Without giving,  you aren't really trusting God and you cannot deny it in anyway. 

One cannot climb to step 10 if they haven't started with step 1. Step one in developing trust is giving. Start with giving that which you can give cheerfully and keep increasing your giving to stretch your faith more and more. Some people get excited after a powerful blog like this or a sermon and empty their savings giving to God, charity and every income they can land on to show that they trust God. Others do it the Zacchaeus way by paying those that owe them 4 times and are left with so little only to become desperate. What this leads to is they won't have anything left to feed their families or even their basic needs. Then the blame game starts, the church,  the pastor took my money now I have nothing. 

God is not pleased when you are unable to take care of yourself or your family because you gave everything away. If you can do it out of generosity and liberality, do not complain afterwards when you meet some hardship otherwise the complaints negates your faith and the supply you expect won't come through. 

What I have come to learn over the years is just like growth doesn't happen in an instant,  so is our spiritual growth.  We grow in spiritual things and commitment daily. You cannot see one doing certain things you cannot do now and think that happened yesterday,  no they develop a spiritual muscle for it with time. For instance do you know that you have to give tithe of your gross income and not net? If you haven't been giving tithe at all that's another matter altogether but similar. Start increasing your tithe up to the amount of gross tithe and you realise that the God who sustained you when you were tithing on net will be the same sustaining you in the gross. 

Monitor your giving over the years, is it growing? Do the same for every other aspect of your spiritual life e.g prayer, fasting,  bible reading, disciple making? Purpose to grow every year.

Further scriptures 

Luke 21:1-4 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.