Tithing

 

  How often do we tune out when we hear the pastor talk about tithing? Or do we think it’s someone else’s turn to fine because pitched in $20 last week and I help with kids ministry twice a month. I think we treat sermons on tithing like telemarketers, we don’t pick up the phone or we hang up before their sales pitch is over. Tithing is so much more than just keeping the church doors open, the pastors paid and ministry programs running. According to church statitition Carey Nieuwhof, only about five to ten percent of regular church attenders tithed ten percent in 2022. I am not surprised by this but it also makes me realize that not only does the people church have a money problem but a spiritual problem also. 

   Here are some things that I am wresting with. The first one is that we have a priority or vale problem. We spend money and give of our time to what we value and hold important. As the end of the year is fast approaching, sit down another not only write out where you spend your time and what you are doing with it, but also pull out a couple months worth of bank/credit card statements. When we go through these things it can be eye opening to where we spend our time and money and it is also where we find out if we actually value what we say we value. I would encourage people who either are engaged or married to do this together so that the both of you are on the same page. I’ve been told by my drs that when I hit a plateau with my weight, to keep a daily food journal for a week of portion size and what I am eating to see if that is contributing to my plateau or weight gain. What we think on or desire the most is usually what we end up doing. What we value our heart will be there also. So what are those things that we desire or even crave the most?

  The second thing I am wresting with is why are we stealing from God? Psalms 50:10 states that the beast of the forrest and the cattle on a thousand hills belongs to God. God owns everything and He gives it to us expecting us to be good caretakers of what He has entrusted us with. We become toddlers and call everything mine and we beg, borrow and steal the things we wand and don’t have. God gives us things because He is good and so we can use them to declare His glory and to serve others and not for self promotion, or over indulgence, or to impress people we don’t even like. Often those things replace God and they become our Golden Calf. How often do we desire things because of how they make us look or feel instead of turning to God?

  The third thing I am wresting with is that tithing is a discipleship issue. Discipleship is the process of growing closer to God and becoming more like Jesus. When we tithe, we are declaring that all of it is Gods and I am giving not only a portion of it back to Him, but the best of it. In the Old Testament, the Jewish people didn’t give their worst cattle or produce, but they gave God their best because He deserves it. Shouldn’t we do the same. Also when we tithe, we are trusting God to come through and provide for our needs. He can do that and wants to do that, butbwe also have to allow Him to do it. Also, when we buy stuff, we do it out of need and not necessarily out of want. To quote Dave Ramsey are we willing to live like no one else now so we can live like no one else later. Are we willing to skip having the credit cards, not eating out so often and driving that older vehicle so that we aren’t strapped WTH stress, debt and we are freer to tithe and to give money to worthy causes. In essence tithing is a heart issue and whether we try and to control our lives and to get everything we can and be disappointed. Or we can submit to God and have joy even when it is tough. I will close with this. To paraphrase a 1990s quote “those who die with the most toys still dies.” Let’s not be like the rich young ruler found in Mark 10:17-27, who walked away from Jesus sad and depressed because he couldn’t or didn’t want to sell his stuff and dive the proceeds to the poor so he couldn’t follow Jesus. One last question, what are those things that prevent us from tithing and hinders our relationship with Jesus?

Grace and Peace 

Tom Boustead