Give To God What Is His
"A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord." -- Leviticus 27:30
I paused for a moment as I sealed the envelope that contains my tithe for the week. I've come a long way when it comes to giving a tenth of everything I earn. No. I don't mean I've suddenly gotten rich. I've just come to a point where it is simply part of what I do, of who I am.
Once upon a time I was one of those people who could never afford to give. I was struggling to pay my bills. How could anyone expect me to give to God or anyone else when I didn't have enough for myself? God would understand. I knew He would.
Later, as I really came to read the Bible, I wanted to follow God with all my heart. I wanted my actions to reflect that. The church I attended asked that everyone pledge to contribute a certain amount each year. We got to choose the amount. I gladly pledged and kept up with my payments each Sunday. Then, two things happen. I had surgery and missed a few weeks of church. Only two people, one of them the pastor, bothered to check on me. However, a member of the finance committee did contact me to remind me I was behind on my pledged tithes. The second thing was the rain. A large part of my income came from home improvement installations, which were delayed by the rain. I still remember the Sunday morning I sat sipping coffee and looking at my check book. I finally decided I couldn't afford to go to church that day.
That got my attention. It was just a realization that came out of nowhere. Church isn't supposed to be about money. God doesn't value a rich person more than a poor one. He wants us to give a tenth of what we have to honor Him. I never went back to that church.
Years later I found myself at a different church, struggling to give a small amount each week. I gave even when I didn't earn. It was stressful but I convinced myself that it was what God wanted. It took a young mother commenting on her child to make that lightbulb go off. She said her son knew to give a tenth of any money he received, whether he earned it or it was a gift. He gave when he received. Duh!
So, now I give a tenth of everything I earn. Mostly I give it to my church, which doesn't, by the way, demand payment or promises of payment to attend and worship God. Sometimes I give to the local Christian radio station. I just ask God and He guides me. I take comfort in knowing that He knows my heart, has always known my heart, no matter how many times I've stumbled over the years.
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