Tithing seems to always be a touchy subject because many interpret it as a way for pastors and church leaders to manipulate believers into funding their lavish lifestyles. See, the thing is that we seem to forget that people in ministry are still people. Their humanness does not dissipate because they carry a title. However, if they are walking with the Holy Spirit, they are strengthened to suppress their fleshly desires and live in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord. This is why we fast. (You may reference this post for tips to achieve a successful fast). Though it has happened more times than we can count, a dishonest leader is not to be used as an excuse not to follow God’s principles.
What is tithing anyway?
In Proverbs 3: 9-10, it says to “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” What does this mean and how does it apply to our contemporary society? The Message translation says it this way: “Honor God with everything you own; give Him the first and the best.” Tithing is just that, setting apart the first portion of all your increase for the One who owns it all.
ZARA blazer – I love how accentuated the details of this fabulous blazer are. When Zara drops these gems, you have to get on it fast… // ZARA cropped pants // H&M blouse // ALDO pumps
Started shooting during the day and it got dark as time progressed. How do we feel about night shoots?
The blessing of tithing
What makes tithing difficult at first, especially if you’re starting out during the uncertainty of a quarantine is the fact that you’re giving the first 10% without necessarily knowing if the remaining 90% will be enough to cover all your needs. So it is a sacrifice that requires faith. The blessing is in the fact that you can do more with the 90% that God blessed than with the 100% that doesn’t have his favor attached to it. I have experienced this countless times myself. For instance, I remember years ago, I went to church and put the little that I had in the offering basket. This was when I was in college and didn’t even fully understand the principle of tithing but yet and still, by the time I left the service, someone came looking for me and out of nowhere handed me double what I had just put in the basket.
The principle of First
If you are giving God what’s leftover after paying your bills, that may be an offering to the church but it is not a tithe. Tithing helps us to remember that God is our source. Our various income streams are the resources that the Lord uses to put money in our pockets but the most important thing is that we don’t own any of it. It all belongs to Him and each of us are assigned a portion to manage. (See parable of the talents Matthew 25:14–30)
It wasn’t until I watched a sermon series called the Principle of First on stewarding (managing) God’s money that I truly understood the importance of not only giving the 10% but ensuring that it was the FIRST part of what came out of my income. I really recommend that you watch it. When the pastor said that Jesus was God’s tithes, I was like WHOA! That truly resonated with me because I understood in that moment that God wasn’t asking us to do and sacrifice something that He hadn’t done and sacrificed himself – the greatest gift of all.
Tithing requires faith
Giving from what’s left over is not hard, that’s why we always drop a dollar or five in the offering without a second thought. Giving when you’re not sure if your next check is coming is what requires you to activate your faith muscle and that is why God blesses it so much. He even says in Malachi 3:10 to test him on this. So I encourage you to do this as an experiment if anything and come back and tell me how He blesses you because it’s a guarantee that He will.
To end, I’d like to add that this should be done out of obedience and not as a transactional thing. Pray and ask God to renew your mind and dismantle the beliefs that stand in the way of you being generous. The true blessing is in being a cheerful giver. Lastly, don’t just tithe with your money. Tithing with your time and giving God the first portion of your day is also an ultimate act of worship.I hope this enlightened and blessed you. If you have any questions or concerns on this topic, let me know and I’ll be happy to elaborate. Have a blessed day and see you again tomorrow, God willing!
Whew. You made it plain!
Author
Yes Mattie! 🙌🏽 That was the goal 🙂 So glad you enjoyed reading it. Thanks for stopping by!
Truer words have never been spoken! We can’t use leaders that have mishandled church funds as an excuse not to tithe. We can never out-give God and tithing is just a principle that God uses to pour out his blessings on us in every aspect of our life, not just finances.
Author
We can never out give God period 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽 well said girl. You be knowing 😝
Awesome post! Loved it and shared it with my church
Author
Keffy, thanks so much for reading and sharing! I truly appreciate that 🙂
Tithing is Essential!! Love this and hope many people get clarity from it. We don’t tithe for man for God is not man that He should lie!
Author
That’s a fact right there. We do it all for the glory of God 🙌🏽
“Tithing with your time and giving God the first portion of your day is also an ultimate act of worship.” When we give God the last part of our day, we are already so exhausted that we wouldn’t even hear Him if he was to speak. At least for me. Thanks. Great reminder.
Author
Very true! For some who are night owls, I don’t think God would chastise them for not doing their devotions in the morning. But waking up and thanking God for the gift of a new day should be all of our default settings!