The Cause for Tithing
Eleven years ago my husband and I decided to fully submit our lives to Christ. We made a decision to be baptized and joined our church. One of the first big decisions we made after joining and learning more of God’s word was to start tithing. We went all in, becoming truth tithers of our income and tithing a decent percentage of our time and talent. We both joined various ministries and would spend at least two nights a week at church, as well as Sundays. As we started a family the tithing of our time decreased. I could give you a variety of reasons why but simply put, kids changed the time game. But one thing we did not stop was giving a true tithe of our income. Let me be clear. It was not an easy decision. Both of us had heard the same story many of you have of churches who received money from their members and there was never a change; however, we could clearly see where the money was going which made it easier. But as we got older we realized that it didn’t matter where the money was going – what mattered was that although we had fallen short of being obedient in other ways, we were being obedient in an area that is often hard for people – money.
You see, we realized that tithing our money is simply about faith. It’s about believing that God can do more with that ten percent than we ever can with the remaining ninety. It’s about believing that Malachi 3:10 is true. When I look back over the past eleven years of my life, I know that because of our obedience, I was able to get a Master’s degree for almost free; I was able to be off five months with one child and three for another; that we were able to sell our first house and buy a significantly more expensive one and not bring a dime to the table, and so much more. We have not missed a meal, wanted for anything we needed, and gotten a lot of what we wanted. And the peace of mind that we have is almost inexplicable.
Now don’t get me wrong – like all things regarding faith we’ve had our moments. There have been times in the storm that we’ve wondered how we would get it done. But once we settled down and spent some serious quiet time with God, we clearly remembered what He has consistently done in our lives and that we weren’t actually doing any of it in the first place. At this very moment, we are being faced with a significant change to my income. At first, we were angry. Actually, angry is putting it mildly. But as we’ve sat down, and looked at the numbers, it doesn’t make sense. How could it be that we would take such a huge hit by man and it only put a small dent in what we want and none of what we need? It’s simple – BUT GOD. Because we believe in God and His faithfulness – we are going to be just fine.
Folks, this is my testimony. I encourage you to try God so you can have your own. He is the best financial planner I know.