How do you understand and teach stewardship? How do you understand and teach giving? How do you put the two together?

A number of years ago I read this extremely helpful piece by Robertson McQuilkin, President Emeritus, Columbia International University, in his textbook, Biblical Ethics. He distinguishes various kinds of giving and relates in to physical maturation. This connection of the various levels of giving and its relation to spiritual maturity was enlightening and helpful to me.

Here is the essence of that section in the book he wrote, “Jesus’ material yardstick for measuring spiritual maturity”:

In sum, here is the “yardstick”:

• Infancy: Non-giving
• Kindergarten: Impulse Giving
• Elementary: Legalistic Giving
• Secondary: Honest Managership
• Higher: Love Giving
• Graduate: Faith Giving

By God’s grace and for His glory, how can we grow in the “grace of giving” (2 Cor. 8:7), and how can we help others to do the same?