The first big money I ever earned in my life was a ₦225,000 Chevron Scholarship towards the end of my 2nd year in college.
I gave ₦25,000 as tithe, I gave a classmate ₦12,000 to pay for sickle cell treatment of his sister, I gave fellow struggling students like me different amounts, some got ₦500, some ₦5,000...then I got myself a used laptop and plenty of books.
Before this time, the highest amount my bank account had ever seen was ₦10,500. Receiving over 20 times that amount at once was crazy.
By the time I was done giving, I still had over ₦125,000 left. Yet, a year after that, the money had doubled to ₦250,000 as more scholarships from various sources flowed in.
That experience reinforced a belief I had then and that I still have now: my money is not really mine. I'm just a custodian of it. This is why it is so hard for me to buy things for myself but I find it so easy to give it away.
When I moved to the U.S. and started earning in $, it was a no-brainer for me to continue the practice that has served me so well. Same as when I started in Shell and started making real money.
For about 10 years now, the biggest line item in my personal finances is not taxes, or mortgage, but donations - to God, to charity, to causes I believe in and to the needy.
Last year, my CPA said, "you give more away than most households in the US earn."
I believe you can give your way to prosperity.
To grow, you need to let go.
Tithing is a good first step in learning to let go.