In Money We Trust?
There’s a reason why our currency says “In God We Trust”. Regardless of what the financial experts say, nothing can grow without God’s active involvement. It all belongs to Him anyway and we are mere stewards of what He has graciously given us. Eight years ago I learned that lesson the hard way.
Eight years ago I had hit rock bottom. I was working a job that was barely paying the bills; I couldn’t afford a home of my own so I was sharing my Mom’s one bedroom apartment and no matter how hard I tried, I could barely make ends meet. To make matters worse, something unexpected always seemed to arise that either devoured the little funds that I did have or put me in a situation where I had to borrow. I was maxed out on all my credit cards and the credit card companies just kept penalizing me with added fees and higher interest rates as a “motivator” to pay what I already had trouble paying. The banks also followed the same method of “motivation” by adding overdraft fees on top of overdraft fees making $0 in my bank account a goal to strive for.
I was drowning with no lifeguard in sight. It all came to a head that Christmas Eve when I got into a costly fender bender that I caused because of my preoccupied mind and negligence. $600 might just have well been $6,000 because it was unreachable and placed me in a situation, once again, to borrow from my mother. I was at a breaking point questioning God and singing the ‘Why Me’ song which I know He knows all too well. The next day I received an unexpected phone call from a Christian counselor that used to minister to me when I lived in New York. He had felt the urge to call me and when I poured out my heart to him, he led us both in prayer.
He later told me that while we prayed the Holy Spirit prompted him to ask me “Do you tithe?” At the time I was taken aback. Tithing? How could I? I couldn’t even pay my bills. Had he been listening to anything I had just told him? I became defensive and said “No, I can’t afford to!” He quietly but firmly replied “You can’t afford not to.”
My way of handling my finances had only led me to dead ends. Because I had cut God out of my financial affairs by not honoring Him through tithing, He was not able to do His part. I was keeping 100% of my income but it did me no good at all because Satan was spending it. Had I just honored God with the 10% that He asks us to do (Numbers 18:26), He would have been able to multiply my 90% so that it more than met my needs.
Deuteronomy 28:8: The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to.
I learned a valuable lesson in tithing that day. In my disobedience in failing to give God what was due to Him, I was doing myself a grave disservice. That Sunday, I asked God for forgiveness and I gave Him my tithe in faith. While I knew that the money I gave had already been designated to pay some overdue bills, I offered it anyway because I no longer wanted to live in disobedience.
The next day I received an unexpected email from a company that I had interviewed with nine months earlier. They were still interested and wanted to know if I was still available. That very week I was given a job offer. Not only was the position within my field of study but it paid more than double what I was making. God is great! One tithe of $60 given in faith had returned a $19,000 increase in salary! Since then I have been a devout ‘tither’.
I was tested two years ago but it was more in the area of being financially responsible with what God was giving me. When I asked by my financial adviser and close friend if I would be willing to cut back on my tithes, it was a no-brainer. I retorted “Absolutely not! That is not an option!” In the midst of a national economic downturn God continues to bless me abundantly and beyond my own understanding. Since that leap of faith eight years ago, my income has quadrupled and I also enjoy other fringe benefits that are not the norm in my line of work. God has truly shone His favor on me and I am now a living testament that obedience does bring abundant blessings!
Deuteronomy 8:18: But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…”
Are you going through a financial crisis? Has it tested you in the area of tithing? How are you dealing with the situation? We would love to hear from you. Please share your comments in the “Comments” section below.
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10 Responses
Did you know that tithing is not required? Sure, it was required for Israel because the Levites were given no land inheritance, and it was the welfare system for the poor. But tithing is not required for the Church because our giving should be led by the Spirit.
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That was an great testimony and an encouragement for me to be consistent in my own giving especially tithing. Thanks.
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Good read and I enjoyed your openness and willingness to share your personal experience, nothing is stronger than a personal testimony of faith. I know friends who have shared similar stories with me about God honoring their obedience and sacrifice, especially concerning tithing.
Some like Steward may argue that “tithing” is not required, but I don’t think you were trying to make a statement about if it is required or not, basically you were stating the results of your conviction and “being led by the spirit” to be faithful in what God provided for you.
I went through the same thing in my life, I did not tithe regularly and most times it was just an offering (even though I was convicted to give more) and I noticed that I could not keep the money that I had saved up in the bank, all sort of situations would arise, and I had to spend, spend, spend.
But I read this verse in Malachi 3:10
“Bring one-tenth of your income into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way,” says the LORD of Armies. “See if I won’t open the windows of heaven for you and flood you with blessings.
And I was convicted even stronger to start tithing sacrificially. I noticed through obedience to the Holy Spirit, not only did my finances stay stable, God opened up other doors to earn more and give more.
I also read in Malachi 3:11
And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
This made me realize that tithing goes far beyond “required” or not “required” it is a spiritual battle inside each of us, we always want to hold on to our treasures and place all trust in our money, but God wants us to place ALL our TRUST in him and only in Him, If we do not then we will reap exactly what we sow for ourselves and our family. Tithing is also not about using God to gain all the riches,
Some may say…
“God will open up the windows of heaven if I tithe, so now I will tithe and see if he will make me rich!”
That would be the wrong attitude to start tithing, because Gods purpose is not to make us rich, but to conform us to the likeness of his son and to have us place our entire faith and trust in Him and Him alone. The Bible instructs us to be cheerful givers and in doing so others will be blessed. If we take our trust off money and ourselves, then we will understand the verse in 2 Corinthians 4:18
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
God Bless
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Kaleb Reply:
March 9th, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Grapixia – I couldn’t have said it better. Thanks also for the additional bible verses 
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Grapixia Reply:
March 9th, 2010 at 5:05 pm
I think this is the problem, some Churches have indoctrinated a law/rule of tithing and I think Steward may have come out of that Church culture and have gone off into another extreme doctrine, the doctrine of “don’t tithe” I am not really sure, I would have to research it more.
I have heard about it before, but I personally have never been indoctrinated into tithing and I don’t believe you were either. Stewie makes it seems like. if you believe in tithing, and you tithe, then you are not “led by the Spirit”.
I think that some Apostate Churches do manipulate people into giving/tithing, and that is totally wrong, but we cannot bunch every Church and Christian who tithe into the same basket, we have to give sacrificially and serve God in the Good times and the “not so good times”, in all things give Him praise.
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Grapixia,
There is nothing extreme about what i’m saying. I will never say ‘don’t give’. I will say that your giving should be Spirit led. Can’t imagine that this is an extreme viewpoint because those who tithe typically believe that offerings above the tithe are Spirit led also. I just don’t believe that we have a tithing minimum, or legalistic starting point.
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Grapixia Reply:
March 9th, 2010 at 7:13 pm
The reason I stated that it may be an extreme view is because, your first statement makes it
seems like you are saying that Christians who tithe are not being “led by the spirit”
“But tithing is not required for the Church because our giving should be led by the Spirit.”
I may be wrong in interpreting what you said, if I am, please correct me.
If a Church is legalistic about tithing or even about the offerings it receives, that is also extreme and I agree with you that there should be no tithing minimum but the word tithing means one-tenth/10%, what is given above or below the tithe is called offering as far as I understand.
Now there are Apostate Churches/Pastors out there that really because of greed has corrupted
the whole concept of tithing, they manipulate the members and even pass around the offering
plate twice and if they do not meet the recommended amount, they pass that offering plate again!
I have heard about Churches that determine how much a member should give, depending on how much the member makes per year and if they don’t give the tithe, they are placed in collections. Others recommend that members use a credit cards, placing their members in a high potential of being in depth, all these examples are so wrong it is ridiculous! and the leaders of these churches will have to answer to God when he returns.
My experience is quite different, I attend a Church that has never manipulated anyone into giving a tithe. My pastor don’t even like to speak about money because of the bad connotations out there about preachers and money, if he does speak about money it is done in the context of stewardship which is a Biblical concept, which not only encompasses money but every thing God has blessed us with, our time, resources etc.
My final thought is this, both the tithe and the offering should be Spirit Led and should be given sacrificially with joy!
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God is Good Reply:
March 19th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
In reply to Steward, God ask us to give 10% so therefore my friend, it is a must…a requirement. If you love God you will obey him as well. Thank you Kaleb, this was a great read
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steward Reply:
March 19th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
God is good,
To be clear, God asked Israel to give 10%, not ‘us’
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Nathan J. Brauer Reply:
March 22nd, 2010 at 11:01 pm
God also says “give away all you have” (paraphrased)
Each command should be read in context — yes, He said 10%, but he said that in a certain situation. You have to understand the entire social/economical/gov’tal situation they were in when they were having the discussion about how much we should tithe.
(PS: Israel = us.
)
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