“When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap all the way to the edge of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the resident alien; I am the Lord your God.” (v. 22)

Let’s presume you have handled your resources wisely.

Let’s presume you have budgeted thoughtfully. Let’s presume you have prioritized the needs of your family over your wants. Let’s presume you have given—perhaps the biblical preference of a tithe, or at least a suitably generous offering in worship.

Let’s presume you are a wise steward, a wise manager.

Then let’s ask the question:

Did you leave any margin?

You ought to have a deliberate plan for every resource God gives you. But that plan—for His glory and your own good—should also consider the good of others. Not everyone needs to budget significant dollars for additional giving, but everyone ought to leave some room at the edges, so that they might still faithfully engage the needs of their neighbors.

If we squeeze every penny out of our plans for our own purposes—if we reap all the way to the boundary—we’ll count giving as a calling that is beyond us. So plan to leave a little in an envelope at the edge. Plan for a little giveable margin.

Your neighbors will thank God for you.

— Tyler