Sunday, June 13, 2010

Gladly Give God What Is His

"But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand."

-- 1 Chronicles 29:14

One thing I love about King David is that he never failed to give God credit. He understood that all we have comes from God. So when we tithe, we are giving back to God what He gave us. I wish we could all really come to understand that.

I want to be like the people David spoke about in this passage. They gave generously and willingly to build God's Temple. I'm not talking about throwing in an extra $20 bill in the offering plate. Think gold, silver, bronze, iron, precious stones. They gave the really valuable stuff because God deserves only the best we have to offer.

So many times I've heard someone say they couldn't "afford" to tithe. I understand. I've felt that way a time or two myself. But I give anyway. It's God's money. He knows what I need. He's told me to tithe. He's also told me that He'll provide what I need. It's a step out in faith. Sometimes it's scary. But I do it anyway.

I used to try and plan it all out. I suppose that works great when you have a regular, dependable paycheck. I don't. As an artist, writer and driver, my income varies greatly from week to week and month to month. I tried to average it all out and give the same amount each week. That worked fine during the times when money flowed in. But during the times when money didn't flow at all, I struggled to come up with the amount I had decided to give.

A pastor's wife made a comment one day about her own child. Suddenly, it hit me square on the head and I understood. So I don't try to control how much I give each week. I simply give 10 percent of what I earn that week. God knows what I make. He knows my heart. And He understands the ebb and flow of money in my world.

I'm not a wealthy person by anyone's standards. But I have everything I need. He makes sure of it. The least I can do is give back to Him generously and willingly what He asks me to give.