Sacrificial giving

I believe in sacrificial giving. The very basis of the Gospel is how Christ sacrificed His life on the cross for our sins. I believe we as Christians in America fall short in the area of sacrificial giving. So many of us pay our tithe (and many don't even do that!) and maybe an extra $25 in the missions offering, and then we feel proud of ourselves for giving more than God asks us to; however, that is not what Christianity is about. It is about sacrificial giving, in all areas of our life, including our pocketbooks!!! In America, it is each man for themselves. How big of house can I get? How nice of car can I drive? What fine dining restauarant can I eat at? We pay little concern for the many around the world living in deep, depressing poverty. We pay little concern that our lifestyle of greed is sin. Why has God blessed us? What is our money for? God's Word teaches us to give to the poor, to take care of the needy, to fight for the underprivledged and I find that many people I talk to either A) don't really care and care more about their own lives and situation or B) don't really think about it much. We don't live with poverty in our faces everyday, but just because we can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there. The need is great. It is overwhelming. It is astounding. BUT if we all learn to give sacrificially, the need will be met. God's plan and purpose includes you and me. It includes givng of our money, our time and for some of us our very lives. God will bless us if we will learn to give. I pray that God continues to give me a heart for sacrificial giving and that His heartbeat will become mine.