PART ONE OF TWO Mostly Easy, Occasionally Hard, and Every Once in a While…Go See God. Every time you get paid, you take a test. The test is this: Who do you honor first? Who do you trust as your source? What gets priority? Jesus said, “You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). One will always sit on the throne. The question isn’t if you’re serving—it’s who. That’s why Scripture gives us rhythms of generosity, not random moments of guilt. Generosity isn’t meant to be chaotic. It’s meant to be cultivated and consistent. Think of it like training. A running expert once told me the problem with my training wasn’t overdoing it. It was that I never challenged myself. I ran the same pace and distance every time. He said the healthiest rhythm for running is this: mostly easy, occasionally hard, and every once in a while—go see God. That same wisdom applies to giving. “Mostly easy” is tithing. The tithe is the steady, faithful return of the first ten percent to God. It’s not dramatic. It’s not flashy. It’s foundational. It’s the weekly reminder that God, not your paycheck, is your source. Tithing says, “Before I do anything else, I trust You.” “Occasionally hard” is offerings. Offerings are Spirit-led moments where generosity stretches us. They’re above and beyond the tithe. They fund compassion, mission, and mercy. They cost something, and that’s the point. Growth always lives on the other side of comfort. And then there are moments when you’ve gotta “go see God.” These are extravagant offerings. The perfume poured out at Jesus’ feet. The sacrifice that doesn’t make sense on paper but makes perfect sense in obedience. These moments aren’t frequent, but they’re formative. They recalibrate our hearts and remind us that God is worthy of our best. Here’s the danger: if we only ever live in the “easy,” we plateau spiritually. If we never stretch, our generosity muscles atrophy. Pain sometimes doesn’t come from pushing too hard—but from never pushing at all.