We're In The Money
As you are promoted, you will receive additional reimbursement for your work. If you have income and if you are a Christian, you will be considering everything surrounding tithing. The Bible talks about giving and most church denominations talk about tithing - so what's the big deal? You give your ten percent (or whatever) and spend, save, invest, and etc. the rest. Right? Well, the subject is a little more complex than that if you really want to follow God's word for tithing.
I'm not going to wade into the pool of rules, regulations, and interpretations. I am not that schooled nor do I want to find in that pool the can of worms silently waiting for my words. What I'm going to relate is how tithing worked in my life and hopefully there may be something that strikes a note with you.
I had never been taught the particulars of tithing so I gave what was in my purse that was extra. Twenty-five cents as a youngster in Sunday school, five dollars as a young woman, and then twenty dollars for years. I don't know where I got the $20 thing but I somehow thought I was really doing something right. It was more about the $20 than it was about the why and the reason.
As I was promoted, I earned more money and I began to realize my $20 was not close to the ten-percent I had always heard was the tithing standard of giving to the church. I decided to investigate how to figure this out. There is a wealth of information on it everywhere, from our best resource (The Bible), to our own church, the dictionary, each denomination, every evangelist, and the IRS. Much of it conflicts and some of it is a downright sham. Some brought into the senerio civic-minded giving and allowed that to be deducted out of your ten-percent. Others allowed anything that was for "good" to be used. Amazingly, I finally decided I needed to set an amount that I had prayed about and where I felt God wanted me to go as far as my motive. When I contemplated the Bible's wisdom on helping others and listened as a result of my prayers, my giving (or tithing) became more about why than about the amount. Don't get me wrong - the amount matters but you must get the motive right first.
I found as I actually tithed to the point of God's desire for me, I was giving far more than I had originally imagined. I also found the more I gave (with my heart on God's desire), the more I was reimbursed through my work. Whew, that was weird. It was direct action - reaction. Again, let me say I'm only telling MY story. How God convicts you is YOUR story.
Then I began to take a real joy in what my tithing could do for others. Not only my own church but others in need. As I was benefited with a surprise, I decided to tithe this to some organizations who do God's work but are not affiliated to a specific church. As the most prosperous nation in the world, our charitable organizations (locally and especially many Christian based) still don't know how they will meet their weekly payrolls or continue their work. I did not feel led to give to some organizations, who do many good works, as a part of my tithing. I felt I could give to those but it had to be in addition to my tithing. That is one reason you need to have a conversation with God and listen to His desire. A good place is to read scripture and be led to His wisdom. I differentiated between tithing (which promotes God's work) and donations to charity (who do socially needed good works). The first requires my tithing; the second above and beyond tithing.
I have been truly blessed through God's gifts to me. First, the gift for my ability to have a financial income. Second, the gift of understanding what He values me to do with that income. Third, the joy (yes, real joy) that comes from knowing you have helped another according to God's will.
Psalm 41:1 - "Blessed is he that considerth the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble."
Tithing should not be your duty. Tithing should be your privilege and joy. Tithing is your responsibility toward God's children and getting your responsibility right with God. As you learn to tithe responsibly and learn to be joyous in tithing, you will be blessed abundantly. Isn't it amazing we live in a world that uses the word "abundantly" almost exclusively in conjunction with possessions. When you change abundantly to describe the act of tithing, it will be forever linked with abundant Blessings!
I'm not going to wade into the pool of rules, regulations, and interpretations. I am not that schooled nor do I want to find in that pool the can of worms silently waiting for my words. What I'm going to relate is how tithing worked in my life and hopefully there may be something that strikes a note with you.
I had never been taught the particulars of tithing so I gave what was in my purse that was extra. Twenty-five cents as a youngster in Sunday school, five dollars as a young woman, and then twenty dollars for years. I don't know where I got the $20 thing but I somehow thought I was really doing something right. It was more about the $20 than it was about the why and the reason.
As I was promoted, I earned more money and I began to realize my $20 was not close to the ten-percent I had always heard was the tithing standard of giving to the church. I decided to investigate how to figure this out. There is a wealth of information on it everywhere, from our best resource (The Bible), to our own church, the dictionary, each denomination, every evangelist, and the IRS. Much of it conflicts and some of it is a downright sham. Some brought into the senerio civic-minded giving and allowed that to be deducted out of your ten-percent. Others allowed anything that was for "good" to be used. Amazingly, I finally decided I needed to set an amount that I had prayed about and where I felt God wanted me to go as far as my motive. When I contemplated the Bible's wisdom on helping others and listened as a result of my prayers, my giving (or tithing) became more about why than about the amount. Don't get me wrong - the amount matters but you must get the motive right first.
I found as I actually tithed to the point of God's desire for me, I was giving far more than I had originally imagined. I also found the more I gave (with my heart on God's desire), the more I was reimbursed through my work. Whew, that was weird. It was direct action - reaction. Again, let me say I'm only telling MY story. How God convicts you is YOUR story.
Then I began to take a real joy in what my tithing could do for others. Not only my own church but others in need. As I was benefited with a surprise, I decided to tithe this to some organizations who do God's work but are not affiliated to a specific church. As the most prosperous nation in the world, our charitable organizations (locally and especially many Christian based) still don't know how they will meet their weekly payrolls or continue their work. I did not feel led to give to some organizations, who do many good works, as a part of my tithing. I felt I could give to those but it had to be in addition to my tithing. That is one reason you need to have a conversation with God and listen to His desire. A good place is to read scripture and be led to His wisdom. I differentiated between tithing (which promotes God's work) and donations to charity (who do socially needed good works). The first requires my tithing; the second above and beyond tithing.
I have been truly blessed through God's gifts to me. First, the gift for my ability to have a financial income. Second, the gift of understanding what He values me to do with that income. Third, the joy (yes, real joy) that comes from knowing you have helped another according to God's will.
Psalm 41:1 - "Blessed is he that considerth the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble."
Tithing should not be your duty. Tithing should be your privilege and joy. Tithing is your responsibility toward God's children and getting your responsibility right with God. As you learn to tithe responsibly and learn to be joyous in tithing, you will be blessed abundantly. Isn't it amazing we live in a world that uses the word "abundantly" almost exclusively in conjunction with possessions. When you change abundantly to describe the act of tithing, it will be forever linked with abundant Blessings!
posted by Diane Gibson at
8:09 AM
