Cyborexis.net - To Tithe or not to Tithe

In this verse Jacob is speaking and says, "And this stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God's house; and of all that You do give me I will surely give a tenth to You." Jacob is speaking about giving back to God a tenth of what God has given him. I know that any talk of "tithing" and "giving" brings a hundred new thoughts into this room.

"If I give the entire ten percent, there is no way I can take the kids to the fair Saturday, and that's not fair to them."
"Doesn't the church have enough money? What do they do with it anyway?
"I can't help but think that this is some kind of 2000 year old con job. This seems more like 'taking' than 'giving' to me."
"Well, I can tithe what I get from my pay stub, but what I get from my tenant isn't really income, since I just pay it back into the house."
"Oh, here comes the verse from Malachi again. How original."
"Can't they take the missionary's money out of the money I already gave them?"

I know that people here have those thoughts because I've had every one of them myself somewhere during my growth as a Christian. I still think that the Malachi verse is a bit overused, since there are thousands of verses that express how God pours his blessings upon us continuously. There are hundreds more that express God's expectation that we serve Him with BOTH time AND money.

When I began to read the Bible in the late 80's my finances were in crisis. I owed the IRS money, there were more coat hangers hanging my car's exhaust system up than clothes in my closet and my employer was trying to find a way to get rid of me without violating labor law. Things began to improve immediately when I became a Christian and started listening to the word of God, but there was still something that didn't seem right. Finances were still a major cause of stress. I heard all the stuff about tithing, but it seemed that much would have to change before I'd have some extra cash to give.

One day I was watching a public television program on the history of the Bible. There were some Christians in Alexandria, Egypt in the third century who hid their Bibles when the Romans came to cleanse the empire of Christianity. One Alexandrian was recorded in Roman legal documents as saying that they loaned their Bibles to someone but couldn't quite remember to whom they were loaned. The records did not state whether the man was executed for his remark, but it's easy to guess if you know anything about the persecutions of that time period. I realized then that people for 2000 years had been paying with their possessions and even their life so that you and I could read the word of God here today. I wasn't willing to do my part for the next generation of Christians, and it bothered me.

It bothered me enough that I found myself very upset and driving around aimlessly one day, praying. Suddenly I got the idea to stop by the church and give the Youth Pastor a check to sponsor one teen for Youth Camp that year. I wrote the check, gave it to the Pastor and drove away content. Soon afterward I began to give 10% of ANY money I made, before taxes. I also gave another 1% to missions. Strange things began to happen.

Financial problems, instead of getting worse, seemed to get better. Every month there would be some unexpected financial brake that would appear out of nowhere. Within a year I bought my first home. Two years later my income doubled overnight, and since then it has doubled again.

I am now giving more in tithe, missions and alms than I used to have as gross income. I have ABSOLUTELY NO financial stress in my life. Next month I will be buying a home here without selling other property I already own. I was told during this process that my credit is "stellar". Stellar. I'll tell you Who is stellar. It's God. God is stellar. There is no other way to put it. He took this irresponsible walking financial disaster and turned him into a respected member of society.

Today I can stand beside those who have come before me and say "I gave so that the Gospel would be passed on to the next generation, should Jesus tarry." I have learned that all my excuses NOT to give were just attempts at brushing off the Holy Spirit. I am but a small part of a golden thread, the same golden thread that saved me from an eternity without God, uselessness without end, a poverty much deeper than being without money.

Giving to the church doesn't erase your sins. Only faith is useful in that respect. But giving to the church pays the church's mortgage, utilities, missions expenses, worker salaries and other expenses that reach PEOPLE with the word of God. Supporting these things is not a chore. It is a privilege. When I'm not feeling up to the sacrifice, I just think of what would have become of me if Jesus felt that He wasn't up to the sacrifice as He entered ancient Jerusalem for the last time.

I want you to be grateful with me church. I want you to be grateful for an opportunity to give. I want you to be grateful for a God that is unwilling to accept your gifts without compensating you tenfold in some miraculous, eye opening way.

God help us to know what to giving. Help us to be cheerful as we give. Correct our finances, Lord. Help us to recognize that everything we eat and every breath we take are just more gifts from you. Bless what we give here today. May it be used to exalt You and build Your heavenly kingdom. May it save many souls. Amen.

© Copyright 2001, Douglas Decicco, 3230 NE 9th Terrace, Pompano Beach, FL - This writing may be duplicated and distributed freely provided the following three restrictions are adhered to during the duplication and distribution of said writing, regardless of the number of recursive duplications or distributions made:
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