The First And The Best.

2 Corinthians 9:7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart.

 

M. O. N. E. Y.

Of everything that’s in the Bible, what to do with your finances is one of the most frustrating, misused and abused topics.  No one likes being told what to do with their money – including me.

I grew up in a church that spoke a lot about tithing and a family who did a lot of giving.  I had great examples.  But I found it hard making the principle my own.  When I graduated from college, my salary was enough to have a car OR an apartment, but not both.  Plus, I had tuition debt and a wedding to plan.  There was no money left over.  Tithing felt out of the question.

Fifteen years and a lot of growing later, I now realize that there is never enough money.  No matter what you make, or what you have, you will always need more.  And if you need more, taking 10% less feels like a rather counter-intuitive plan of attack.

On the flip side, I do really like giving things to people — my time, my efforts, my things, and, yes, even my money.  For many years I figured somewhere in the mix of it all I was “basically” tithing.  So long as the giving was my choice and under my terms, all was good.  In reality, I believe a lot of Christians feel the exact same way.

But here’s the truth: It isn’t the same thing.  And the reason I can say that is because I also knew deep down that this form of giving is a good kindness, but not an answer to what the Bible rather clearly tells us to do.

Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

I’ll be honest, it took some years, but Steve and I finally accepted that not tithing consistently wasn’t an innocent oversight on our part.  We were making up the rules as we went along, but they weren’t ours to reinvent.  When we took the leap and made tithing a part of our lifestyle it was a big step.  And it hurt at first.

Right now our church is doing something I’ve never heard of before.  You can sign an agreement to tithe for 3 months, and at the end of those 3 months if you haven’t seen any movement of God in your life, you can have it ALL BACK.

Say what?

Here’s the reason I can get my head around this radical proposition.  No one here is making promises about what you will get in return for your obedience.  Rather, they expect that by walking in faith, things will change in your circumstances, that you’ll recognize it and you’ll like it.

There’s been a buzz phrase floating around the general Church called “Prosperity Doctrine”.  And it’s got a lot of power over people – both the ones who choose to believe it and the ones who hate the very thought of it.  The premise is that one should give a tithe with the expectation that God will bless you mightily in return.

I don’t care if you believe in a “Prosperity Doctrine” or not.   I doubt God does either.  We are told to tithe, so we should do it.  It’s that simple (however hard it is in practice).  At its root, when you tithe, you are saying, “I’m not first… In fact, I may not even understand, but I DO TRUST YOU, God”.  It’s one of the few visibly tangible and measurable ways we get to submit to Him.  And obedience, by default, brings blessing.  Check out Deuteronomy 28:1-14 – You’ll love it.

If I take an honest look at my life since tithing became a priority, those years have been some of the hardest on record for me.  I have been stretched, challenged and often flat on my face with tears and questions.

And I wouldn’t trade a single day of it.  The Heather I am right now is stronger in faith and more sensitive in spirit.  God’s been working in me, guiding both me AND my husband to a treasure trove of new lessons learned.  Have there been financial blessings?  At times, yes.  At times, no.  But I don’t miss a single one of those Dollars we gave.  Do you sit around moping over and wishing back all the money you’ve paid for electricity in your life?  Doubtful.

When tithing becomes a lifestyle it stops hurting.

Being obedient is foundational to being effective.  I dare you try.  Has God been daring you, as well?