We are incredibly generous when we are in love. When I realized my wife was the woman of my dreams, I couldn't wait to spend money I didn't have for a gold ring with a shiny rock on top! And when my kids were born, I was so head over heels that I would do anything for them. For those of us who commit our lives to Christ, why would this be any different?
Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." In other words, money is a heart magnet. It's only natural that my heart follows my money. If you've got money in a stock, when that stock goes down, your heart sinks. When it goes up, your heart soars.
When I put God first in my finances, something amazing happens. Suddenly, God begins to take first place in my heart. It moves from theory to reality. it's kind of like that old saying, "Put your money where your mouth is." I can sing all day long that God is first place, but if he's still 2nd, 3rd, or no place in my finances, it's probably just a theory.