Do You Tithe?

Do you tithe?

Seriously...

Do you?

Do you tithe honestly? Regularly? Joyfully?

There was a time in my life when I didn't. I had alot of great reason/excuses for not doing it. A portion of my list ....

1. Not enough money to both tithe and pay all the bills
2. Not enough money to both tithe and not eat ramen for two weeks
3. Forgot
4. My pink envelopes didn't come in
5. Forgot again
6. Had to buy Christmas presents (I mean...it's Jesus' birthday after all)
7. My alternator went out
8. Left my checkbook at home
9. Ran out of checks
10. God doesn't need my money

As I was writing the TransformMe session on Generosity, it was difficult to not focus solely on tithing. In truth, Generosity should permeate all quadrants of our lives, yet I can't help but feel that if we can not even give 10% honestly and regularly to the family of believers to which we belong...how can it be possible for us to be generous in other areas of our life?

In my LifeGroup the other night, we had a great discussion about this topic. Some people admitted that this is an area where they struggle. With so many demands on our time and our finances, it can become very easy to simply not give anything. Yet, God has called us to return a portion of His blessing.

What we are actually talking about here is not a matter of money or time. It is not a matter of have or have not. It is a matter of trust.

Do you trust God to take care of you?

Here's a thought...if the 10% that you would regularly give in a tithe to your church always winds up being spent beforehand...

Are you living above your means?

As a college student, I came to the conclusion that by not tithing, I was in essence calling God a liar. In other words..."God, I do not believe that you will take care of me." Stupid. The fact that I was having an internal battle about whether to give my money to the church or spend it on myself was PROOF that God was already taking care of me. I imagine that that same proof is evident in your life.

I don’t know about you, but I imagine that God is tired of our excuses. How bout this week…this month, you decide to worship God by giving Him back a portion of what he has given to you. If you are married with kids…maybe talk about it and do it as a family.

Don’t just make it a part of your routine. Make it a part of who you are.

Also, don’t give out of what is left over. God doesn’t want your scraps. Make your tithe the very first thing that you give. The very first check you write.

I promise that when you make the decision to surrender your finances to Him, you will encounter a more prevalent sense of dependence and intimacy than you ever have before. Allow His love for you and His provision for your life to create an overflow of love and generosity from you heart. Be a person of faith who follows through with faithfulness.