Tithing

When times are tough, tithing is often the first place many cut back. The argument being that they cannot afford to give. Well the opposite is true. You cannot afford not to give. When you are in need, your first instinct should be to give. It sounds completely contrary to the ways of the world and it is. Everything of God is contrary to the world’s ways.

Look at what the Bible tells us in Luke 6:38 (NIV) “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

God tells us that He will give to us in the same way we give to others. If we are stingy and greedy, God will withhold from us. If we are generous and trust God to meet our needs, He will be generous with us. We must be careful though, that we are not giving to God simply to get back. The act of giving should be done with joy because we are free from worry knowing that we can hold on loosely to things because God will meet our needs.

Malachi 3:10 (NIV) says “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

A tithe is ten percent. God says if you will give Him ten percent off the top of everything you earn, He will open the floodgates of heaven for you. He challenges us to test him in this and see that he is true to his word.

I have seen this principle at work in my own life. When I first found myself on my own, things were tight and sometimes downright frightening. We were living one day at a time and counting on God for everything. Whenever I continued to give, God would meet our needs in the most surprising and interesting ways; ways I could never have conjured up on my own.

There would be times when I would worry and withhold my giving because I felt I needed that money to pay a bill or something. In those times, I was overcome with fear and worry and sure enough, I would find myself short and desperate to find a way to make ends meet. Then, the Lord would bring me back to his words in Malachi 3:10. The key to my financial survival was trusting God by giving my tithes and offerings freely. Whenever I did, all would go well with our finances even though I had more bills than I had income, God would provide. The other amazing gift in trusting God is peace of mind and the absence of fear. God is more than able to provide for our needs if we simply trust him to do so.

So, no matter what advice you get from others, God himself says if you trust him with your tithe, He promises to provide and bless you beyond measure.

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