I have meditated and prayed about this blog
for weeks! The Holy Spirit has prompted me more than once to sit down and
write, so today—His will be done.
The goal is to help us have a
better understanding of giving money to God. To help those of us who feel
condemned and hopeless because we don’t see how we can. And most of all to gain
a better understanding of the God we serve and how relationship is everything
with Him.
Did you know statistics show that only 5
percent of Christians in the U.S. tithe, with 80 percent only
give 2 percent of their income? (Relevant Magazine)
The main reason many Christians don’t tithe, is they feel
they can’t afford it. And then there is the debate of 10% before taxes or after
taxes? But, everyone who comes to Christ is not broke, poor or bogged down in debt—so
why do they hang onto their money and not tithe?
Let’s take a quick look at some of the people who come to
accept Christ, here in the USA on a daily bases. We have alcoholics, drug
dealers and drug users, single moms, prostitutes, thieves, liars, murders,
child molesters, rapist, porn stars, makers of porn, the elderly, the lonely,
the hopeless, the abused, the scared, those living a homosexual life style,
people shacked up with those they are not married to, adulterers, wife beaters,
child beaters, and those burdened with debt and barely making ends meet. And we know by the Word of God, the moment we
accept Christ, we become a new creature. But what does that mean to them? Truthfully,
in the beginning they don’t have a clue. I know I didn’t.
And if you are part of a church congregation, in most cases
you are immediately hit with tithing. Not, what salvation really means for you
and how it can change your life. No! How you need to tithe and all the bad
things that will happen if you don’t and all the wonderful things that will
happen if you do.
Several years ago, I received an urgent email from a
sister-in-Christ, concerning her husband not going to tithe on his current
paycheck. I asked if he had expressed a reason to why? Yes, he felt the family
couldn’t afford it. As is, he wasn’t
going to be able to cover all the bills and purchase food for the next two
weeks. My response was, “Pray for your husband, and allow him to be the head.” Come
to find out, she had already gone to others (including her pastor) and we
basically all told her the same thing. Yet, it was hard for her to accept our
advice. Why? Because she had been led to
believe that God would all but curse her family because her husband was not
tithing on this paycheck.
At the end of the blog, I’m going to give you a link to
information that can be a good bible study.
Churches lead people into believing that if you tithe,
you can stand on these wonderful promises (Based off scriptures pulled to fit the
thinking. Yet it negates that God does not always accept the tithes and
offerings of everyone.) So, this leads the wife beater and
adulterer to think that if they bring a tithe each week, they are okay with
God. Wrong! And it also leads those who don’t know God in His fullness to believe that
after the Free gift of Salvation, He now demands that which in their eyes they
don’t have and if you don’t give it, you will somehow miss out. How confusing
is that?
How can we (the Church) expect those just entering the
Kingdom to immediately understand who God is? At the moment of salvation does
the prostitute really know that the power of the Cross has made her new and
clean? Does the man, who had sex with
his own daughter, truly understand the forgiveness he has acquired through
salvation? How long will it take him to forgive himself and beg forgiveness
from his daughter? Only God knows the answer for each individual, but these are
the things (the healings) that are foremost in the life of the new Believer.
If you are struggling with tithing, I want you to struggle
no more!
Your relationship with God is #1 and it is not based on
tithing. It is based on love and understanding.
Jesus says, “Seek you first the Kingdom of God and His
righteousness” and don’t worry about those things we have need of. He doesn’t
say, “You have to give your 10% if you want to keep what you have or have
more!” Nope, he says no such thing.
Truth is…if you study the Word (for yourself) you will find
that we are to give generously. Is a 10% mark generous? It might be for some
and then it might not be for others. You see, it is between you and God how
much you give.
And if you are one who does tithe, but with the expectation
of what you are going to get out of it or somehow you can manipulate God into
doing something you want—you are so wrong in your thinking and heart
motivation.
Any time we feel condemnation or beat up in our church
congregation, we need to really seek God about what is going on. Now if the
Holy Spirit is telling you to do something and you don’t…that is not what I’m
talking about here.
Jesus died that we might be free and that includes the
bondage of legalism in the Church.
As our relationship with God grows, so does our trust, faith
and understanding! Many things we struggled with in the beginning cease to be.
How can you truly have a love relationship and not want to please the one you
love? You can’t. So, in time, you will be able to do many things you didn’t
think were possible in the beginning—but first get to know the God who saved
you and just how much He loves you. Amen!
Giving is about faith. It is the same for “I can barely make
ends meet person” as it is for the rich.
Here's the link I promised. Study and pray. Generous
giving (click) I pray you will be
blessed with wisdom and understanding.
Next week Part 3, “Prayer…Could You Not Tarry
with Me One Hour?”
Until next week...
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