August 14, 2018

Do You Trust God?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make straight your paths.

– Proverbs 3:5-6

A few years ago a friend told me she and her husband had stopped tithing. They just couldn’t afford it, she explained. They own their own business and sales were way off. They were struggling to pay their bills.

I’m not sure why she told me all this. I certainly didn’t ask. And, yes, I kept my mouth shut. It was really none of my business. Some things belong between an individual or couple and God. Period. Still, I wonder if guilt might have played a role in her telling me. I think she wanted me to tell her it was all right. It wasn’t.

God tells us to tithe first. That means before we pay the rent or mortgage, before we pay the electric bill, before we buy groceries. We want to tithe from what’s left over but that’s not what God says to do.

It’s difficult to believe there will always be enough. We don’t see how to stretch our paycheck to cover what’s necessary, much less the extras like school supplies and a new car battery. Still, God says to trust Him.

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

– Malachi 3:10

We say we trust God. We do – up to a point. Because when it really comes down to it, we don’t trust Him to provide for our needs and our wants. Wait. Let’s back that up a bit. Our needs and our wants. Ah. There you have it. We want a certain lifestyle and we aren’t sure it’s what God wants for us. So, we figure we’d better handle that for ourselves.

This sweet woman who explained why she couldn’t tithe wasn’t willing to sacrifice her lifestyle for God. She wasn’t willing to give up eating out, vacations or new flooring for her home. It was just easier to short-change God.

I don’t mean to pick on her. She’s a wonderful person. She’s just so much like you and me. No matter how much we want to trust God there’s that little bit inside that tells us we’d better not count too much on God Almighty when it comes to our finances.

Do you remember how Jesus took the five loaves of bread and two fish and fed 5,000 men, plus women and children? (Matthew 14:13-21) The disciples didn’t trust Jesus either. They had no idea how He could take the little bit of food offered up and multiply it to feed so many. But He did.

We look at what we can see and decide God will have to wait. We shake our heads in doubt and determine God can’t make our paychecks go farther than we can. We cling to what we have because we don’t believe God will bless us with extras.

So, let me ask you: How much do you trust God? Really? Show it with your actions and watch how He blesses your obedience.

March 18, 2018

Are You Following Jesus or the World?

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. – James 4:8

We love the world. Oh, we may complain about things, get upset with those who disagree with us, and lament the violence, but we love it just the same. We just want to take all the good and shove aside all the bad.

It doesn’t work that way. We get a strong dose of both on a regular basis. Why? Because so much of what we term “good” really isn’t. We just can’t help ourselves. We want it all anyway. And that, my friend, frequently leads us to the bad.

Think about the movies you like to watch. How many of them have violence or sex or bad language? You watch them anyway because they’re entertaining. In fact, you’ve probably watched so many of them that you’ve become numb to what you’re actually seeing and hearing.

Have you ever padded your expensive account because “everyone does it”? Have you ever helped yourself to extra supplies from your workplace because the company “has plenty?” Have you ever bad mouthed a co-worker or played “politics” to discredit a rival on your path to a promotion? It’s all sin. That everyone else might be doing it doesn’t lessen the sin.

Do you ever make excuses for your failure to tithe? There’s just not enough money to go around. You don’t approve of all the ways the church spends the money. You aren’t certain that charities really do all they claim to do. You make excuses and keep it for yourself, neglecting to give first to God even though you know that’s what the Bible tell you to do.

We all like our lifestyles, don’t we? We work hard and deserve to be rewarded for it. We look down on people who have less than we do, assuming they don’t work hard enough, aren’t smart enough, or have secrets in their closet that have caused them to have less than we do. We loudly judge what we don’t know in a vain effort to justify how wrong our lifestyles really are.

It’s not that God doesn’t want good things for us. He does. Sometimes the blessings He extends are material things. More times those blessings come when we loosen our grip on stuff and extend a helping hand to His people. We are to love and share and be an active part in building people up, in helping the less fortunate. We choose to ignore the true call of His Spirit to focus on the desires of our flesh.

The slow shift toward the world and away from God rarely comes in a swift decline. Rather it comes from the small choices we make each day. Every time we compromise we step a little closer to accepting sin as “normal” in our own lives. Every time we point our judgmental finger, we are looking more like a Pharisee and less like the Jesus we claim to love.

We have a choice. We can pull back from the world or we can go toward it. We can be the light, solitary though the flame may be at times, or we can join the crowd. The choice belongs to you. What’s it going to be?

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Tithe From Your Heart

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” -- Genesis 4:6-7

Why do you tithe? Really. Of course, I’m assuming that you tithe. We’re supposed to. The Bible is pretty clear about giving back to God a portion of what He has given to us.

My question, though, is more about motivation. Do you tithe because the Bible tells us to give back to God? Do you tithe because the church needs electricity and the pastor needs to eat? Or do you tithe because it’s expected?

Sometimes we get lost in all the reasons and forget the basics: We tithe because God has blessed us and, in return, we give back to Him a portion of what He has given to us. It is a moment of honoring God for all He does for us. It is acknowledging that without Him we have nothing. We are nothing. It is showing respect and honor to our Creator.

The contemporary services at our church started a new practice today for collecting tithes. Instead of having ushers pass baskets, offering containers are placed at the front and back of the fellowship hall where we meet. After the sermon, the band begins to play and we have the opportunity to place our tithes in the containers and, if we desire, stop and pray at the kneeling benches up front.

The difference is subtle but real and poignant. It is a reminder that our offerings are for God. How He uses that money is for Him to decide. But our hearts are honoring Him.

At least, they should be. God doesn’t want us grudgingly giving anything back to Him. He wants our love and respect. He wants hearts filled with gratitude for the many blessings He brings to us.

Why was Abel’s offering to God acceptable and Cain’s was not? Perhaps it has to do with the heart. God can see past the outward signs of obedience and look into our hearts to see our true motivation.

Does that mean we’re forever condemned if what we offer God isn’t done with love and a glad heart? No. We have the opportunity to change our attitudes and be restored to God. Jesus saw to that.

But God also didn’t condemn Cain forever, even after Cain murdered his brother Abel. God punished Cain but He also made sure that no one would harm him. Cain went on to have children who would do wonderful things. (see Genesis 4:20-22)

Our tithes shouldn’t be a burden. They shouldn’t feel like an obligation. We are merely giving back to God a portion of what He has graciously given to us. Show your gratitude. And watch your blessings grow.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Give To God First

“Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” -- Luke 16:10

The other day a wonderful man gave a talk on tithing. His goal was to encourage others to regularly give ten percent of their wealth back to God. It is, after all, what God tells us to do.

The audience slowly shut down as he went on and on. Money is never a pleasant topic, especially when someone is telling you to give up part of it. Talking more doesn’t make people listen more intently. They simply tune the speaker out. He sensed it, smiling nervously as he looked around the crowd again and again.

I’m a big believer in tithing. It’s one of those things no one really needs to discuss. The Bible is pretty clear that one tenth of all we have must be returned to God. I don’t believe in pledge cards for budget planning or any of those things. My formula is simple: Pray. Trust God. Tithe. He’ll provide what we need to do what He has called us to do.

Still, I was bothered by something this man said. He talked about how sometimes life throws us curves -- car wrecks, illness, major repairs -- and we simply can’t tithe. It happens to everyone, including him. The man gave his advice: just get back to tithing as soon as you can.

I understood what he was saying. He was encouraging those who’d gotten out of the habit of tithing to just jump right back in. But I wonder if he realized what he said, what he was admitting to? I don’t think he did.

See, God tells us to give Him the first ten percent of all we have. We’re not to wait until everything and everyone is taken care of and then, if we have anything left, give it to God. We give to God first and He makes sure that we have enough for everything else.

That’s the scary part. The mortgage or rent is due. The car payment. The insurance. There’s food to buy. Children to clothe. All those things are reasonable and God expects us to pay our bills. The true test comes when we don’t have enough money to cover everything and we still give God ten percent first. It’s called trust. I’m not sure this man has it. Not really.

Another man I know is a bi-vocational preacher. He wants desperately to devote himself full-time to his small congregation. He feels called to do that. But he can’t let go of that safety net that brings in $50,000 to $60,000 in income each year. He loves God with all his heart. But does he trust God with his finances? Does he trust God to provide him with all he needs? Does he trust himself to be content with what God provides and not want what the world says he needs?

Both of these men are devoted Christians. They love Jesus so much. They, like so many of us, have trust issues. Especially when it comes to money. I wish I could say I never doubt or have moments of panic. It wouldn’t’ be true. It’s hard to depend on what I don’t see to provide what I need and what I want. It’s hard to trust what I can’t see.

But God calls us to do just that. He promises that if we give Him the first ten percent of all we have -- what He’s given us and provided to us -- then He’ll bless us beyond measure and take care of all our needs. So the question is: Do you trust God? Do you really trust Him? Even with your money? Think about it.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Give Generously

Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always ready to share with others whatever God has given them. -- 1 Timothy 6:18

Today churches everywhere will be passing the offering plate. They’ll be collecting a tithe, or 10 percent of the income of each person there. Theoretically at least. The truth is that many people don’t tithe. Some never even place anything in the offering plate.

Tithing is straight from the Bible. God says to give 10 percent of whatever you have back to Him. Remember, it all belongs to Him anyway. God gives you everything you have. He simply expects you to give a portion back.

Some folks have trouble letting go. It could simply be a matter of trust. They don’t trust God to take care of them. They don’t believe they’ll have enough for themselves and their families if they give part of it back. They don’t trust God’s promises that He’ll take care of them and provide all their needs.

Other people go overboard with the tithe rule. They give 10 percent and not a penny more. Several years ago the Sunday School class I attended decided to provide Christmas gifts for three children. Some people gave money and others shopped. A wonderful woman announced she was deducting the amount of the donation from her tithe to the church. Apparently, giving to a needy child was part of her 10 percent.

I was shocked and amazed. She is a fairly wealthy woman. Twenty dollars here or there wouldn’t even be lunch money for her. Yet she was stingy -- with God. Because when we do something for others, it’s like we’re doing them for God.

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything -- all she had to live on.” -- Mark 12:41-44

Let us all give according to our hearts. Yes, give 10 percent back to God. Then give more to help those in need. Don’t worry about having enough. You can never, ever out give God.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Give to God What Is God's

"Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

He saw through their duplicity and said to them, "Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?"

"Caesar's," they replied.

He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's"

Tax day has come again. Some of us grumble and complain as we send in our money. Others wait expectantly for the refund they've already spent in their minds. It's just part of life.

The government expects us to pay taxes. Indeed, we face penalties and even jail for failure to do so. It's the price we pay for being a part of the United States. We may get upset with how our tax money is being spent, but we pay taxes anyway.

I wonder if we would feel the same, and do the same, if we faced penalties for failure to tithe. The Bible tells us that the first 10 percent of everything belongs to God. It doesn't say the 10 percent we have after we've paid bills. It's very clear. Give first to God.

This isn't always the easiest thing to do. It's difficult, especially when money is tight and you're worried about paying the mortgage and buying food. It's like deep down we don't trust God to provide for us. We think we have to do it all on our own. What an awful, scary place to be. I know. I've been there.

Would we tithe if there was a penalty for failure to do so? What if God punished us, much like the government does, if we refused to give back to Him? He has given us free choice but I can only imagine how much it hurts Him when we refuse to do as He has commanded us to do.

We pay taxes because we are citizens of the United States. It is a requirement for living and working here. We should view our tithes much the same. As Christians, we are required to follow the Bible. We are expected to do what it says. God says to give back to Him the first 10 percent of everything He gives to us. We should do it without complaint or excuse. Tithing seems like a really small way to honor all He has done for us.