Phil recounted how a man approached him asking for money. The man showed no obvious sign of drug or alcohol abuse. He needed bus fare to get home. Then the stranger said, "I'm a Christian man. Help me for Jesus' sake." So, in the name of Jesus, Phil gave him some money. As he told me about the incident, he said, "I gave the money to Jesus, not the man." That is exactly right! Even if the stranger was lying about his need, Phil gave for the right reason - to honor the Lord.
Are you a generous giver of your money?
Do you follow the Scripture's pattern for contributing to the work of God in this world?
Here is what it says. "A tenth of the land’s produce, whether grain from the ground or fruit from the trees, is God’s. It is holy to God." (Leviticus 27:30, The Message) The practice is called 'tithing,' and is, I believe, a spiritual discipline that leads us to enjoy God's blessings.
Some may disagree and insist that tithing is a part of the First Covenant law which is no longer binding because of the New Covenant in Christ. Consider this. Before the Law of Moses was given, Abraham tithed! And Jesus, when He talked of the legalistic tithing practice of the Pharisees, said, "Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things." (Matthew 23:23, NLT)
From my youth, I was taught the practice of tithing, and I have practiced it faithfully. In times of plenty and in times of need, the first 10% of our household income has always been set aside for the Lord's purposes. It is one of the spiritual disciplines that I find easiest to joyfully practice. Truthfully, I wish I had more resources to pour into God's work in the world! When I write the checks reflecting my tithe to ministries, I do so with a prayer for their effectiveness, with a sense of being a partner with God in getting the work of the Kingdom accomplished. Like Phil, whose story opened this TFTD, I am conscious that I am, in fact, presenting my money to Jesus, though the check is written to a church or charity! And, God has blessed me in my obedience. No, I am not a rich man. In terms of earthly wealth, my net worth is laughable for a 51 year old man. But, I have enough, my needs are met and then some, so I am blessed.
I am convinced that tithing is a key to knowing God's provisions for our lives! The discipline of tithing teaches us, week by week, that we are not owners of our stuff. We manage it for God. When we put Him and His work first, we can pray much more confidently for His provision for the rest. We also learn to prioritize our needs and to more clearly understand what is really just a 'want.' If you think you cannot afford to tithe, you have missed the point of tithing. Truthfully, you cannot afford not to tithe. It isn't that God will punish the non-tither. That is foolishness and unbiblical legalism! But, if a person will not discipline himself to follow this basic spiritual principle, I am not sure that God can place abundance under his stewardship. Jesus said, "if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own? "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Luke 16:11-13, NLT)
Most of the time the very idea of putting God to the test is abhorrent. He is the One who evaluates us, we do not hold Him accountable!
But there is an exception to that principle. Here it is - straight from the Bible.
"I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing. I will also stop locusts from destroying your crops and keeping your vineyards from producing. Everyone of every nation will talk about how I have blessed you and about your wonderful land. I, the Lord All-Powerful, have spoken!" (Malachi 3:10-12, CEV)
He said it. Do you believe Him?
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