Mike Cherry,
President/CEO of Consumer Credit Counseling Service recently said about the current economic crisis, "For some people, their financial situation has gotten so bad that they feel like even
the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off. But there is an answer, and it lies in going back to the basics." So let's get back to some basics.
In ancient times, before money was the measure of abundance, people gave some of their crops, or
some of their flock, and at harvest time, great festivals were held as these gifts were presented to the temples. It was a time of joyful giving. For us
today, this giving stimulus takes the form of a tithe - a giving of the tenth portion, or ten percent of our income to the source of our spiritual strength.
Tithing works if you and I work it! It provides us with "a systematic way of giving a portion of our abundance back to the source of our spiritual strength."
When you begin to tithe, you put yourself in the group of the 'haves'; and when you feel that you are too poor to tithe, you put yourself in the group of the 'have nots'.
From Malachi 3:10 we are told - "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 you will not have room enough for it."
Consider the farmer who lets a portion of his crops go to seed. He does this so he will have seed to plant
for the next year. Out of that small portion that the farmer sets aside grows a new full crop. The farmer's tithe is multiplied tenfold.
I believe that it's far more important to start the habit of giving regularly than it is to give specifically 10 percent.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians.8:12:
"For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have."
One way to interpret this is that you should give what you can cheerfully give, but give systematically.
When you give systematically through the practice of tithing, you are learning both to receive and to give
cheerfully. You are creating an incredible flow of energy around yourself because after all, that's what
money really is - energy. You turn your work energy into paycheck energy, grocery-money energy, bill-paying energy, and so on.
Paul continues in 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
; "6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each man should give what he has
decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And
God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
9As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."
10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of
seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion…"
This month, I invite you to
