Want to share the 5 Slices of Giving with your friends?
Then ask your parents to download and printout the pizza cards, or bookmarks and share them with others. Please, just don’t eat them.
Are you ready to give with a cheerful heart?
5 Slices of Giving
Did you ever think about how pizza is kind of like money? No, you can’t pay for things with pizza, and you shouldn’t eat money for a snack. But, most people can never get enough pizza or money.
Now, imagine a pizza cut into five slices. Each of these slices can help you remember how to best use your money. We call it the 5 slices of giving.
When we picture our money as slices of pizza, we can understand how quickly it can disappear, if we aren’t watching it carefully.
Proverbs 21:20 KJV
There is treasure to be desired
and oil in the dwelling of the wise;
but a foolish man spendeth it up.
The person who made the pizza owns it. God made everything and so everything belongs to him, and that includes our money, too. The important thing to remember is that our money doesn’t belong to us. Because he loves us, God lets us use his money. That means we should be very careful where it goes because we are responsible for how it is used.
Psalm 24:1 KJV
The earth is the Lord's
and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein.
Because all of our money belongs to God, he asks us to give a small part back to him first before we spend it. We call this TITHING and it is the first slice of giving. We give our tithe to help God’s work continue. Usually, we give it to the church to help pay for expenses like water, electricity, and even the pastor’s salary. But be warned, the Bible says if don’t give back to God, then we are robbing him.
Malachi 3:8 KJV
Will man rob God?
Yet you are robbing me.
But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’
In your tithes and contributions.
The second slice of giving is PAYING YOUR BILLS. When we owe someone money it is called a debt. When we use things like water, electricity, satellite TV, phone, and internet, we have to pay for them. They are not free. Someone provides them to us for a price. Because we use them, we owe money. It is important to pay your bills before you spend money on yourself or even others.
2 Kings 4:7 KJV
​
She came and told the man of God,
and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts,
and you and your sons can live on the rest.”
SAVING for the future is the third slice of giving. Why should we save money? Because we never know what will happen tomorrow. When things break, they cost money to either fix or replace. We may be healthy today, but tomorrow we may be sick and have medical bills to pay. Saving is a good way to prepare for the unexpected future things that will happen. But, don’t forget that God is still in control and he will help us, no matter what the future might bring.
Proverbs 13:22a KJV
​
A good man leaves an inheritance
to his children's children…
The fourth slice of giving is SPENDING. Many people like to spend money. What if, instead of spending money to buy things that we think will make us happy, we spent some of the money on our family and friends? Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) Giving helps us to not hold too tightly onto things that won’t last.
Matthew 6:19,20 KJV
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy
and where thieves break in and steal,
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys
and where thieves do not break in and steal.
The fifth slice of giving is HELPING OTHERS. Yes, we already gave back to God a part of what already belongs to Him. And, we have spent some of our money on others. Now, we can give to help others who are in need. It could be giving to help the poor, a special project, or even a missionary friend. However you choose to help others, give with a cheerful heart and as a way to show others your deep love for God.
1 John 3:17 KJV
But if anyone has the world's goods
and sees his brother in need,
yet closes his heart against him,
how does God's love abide in him?