Trusting God to Give
Late last year I realized I was fooling myself.
I grew up in a Christian home and have been taught to tithe my entire life. I can still remember the little blue tin I put the tithe from my paper route into. In my head I knew that all the money was God’s money. I knew that tithing was a discipline. But somehow, in the last year or two, I managed to convince myself that as long as I was giving something, somewhere, actually tithing was less important. Late last year I was quite surprised to discover the truth that lay at the heart of my self-deception.
Why don’t you trust me?
I was driving home one day in December. I was thinking about the idea of giving, maybe it was the season. Out of nowhere God spoke very clearly to me, “Why don’t you trust me?” He asked. I went on the defensive. “What do you mean?” I thought. I trust God. I’ve trusted Him almost my entire life. But as I thought about my tithing, or rather the lack of it, I realized that I had allowed myself to believe that I couldn’t afford it.
I thought that I had allowed my tithing to slip because I was giving elsewhere. And to be fair, I was. However, and this is the critical difference, I was giving out of the bottom, out of the leftovers, and when I felt I could afford it. God very clearly asks us to give off the top, before anything else, and trust Him with the results. Major difference.
> Read about Spiritual Family Financial Goals
Believing the lie that I couldn’t afford to tithe
Without realizing it, I was acting on the belief that I had to take care of my finances. I thought that if I gave 10% there wouldn’t be enough left to meet my expenses. At the heart of that belief were the words that God spoke in the car. He was right. When it came to money, in my heart I didn’t trust Him. Clearly God and I had some work to do.
As I started to think about it something else became very clear: finances can change in heartbeat. I thought of all of the things outside of my control that could affect finances – a fender bender, getting sick and missing work, accidentally breaking something. Of all the areas of my life to try and hang on to, finances looked like an area where I needed more of God, not less of Him. Why was I trying so hard to hang on to something that was clearly safer in God’s hands? I had fallen into the trap of believing that I couldn’t afford to tithe.
Tithing is a discipline of the heart, not the wallet
No matter what kind of budget you’re working with, 10% looks like a lot. I used to think that tithing was a discipline because you had to hand something over week after week. Now I believe that tithing is a discipline because it says to God “I trust you with my resources so much that I’m going to put my money out of my own reach so that You can use it your way.”
It’s not an easy thing to do. I decided that at the beginning of the year I would start tithing regularly. I had decided on a trial amount and quickly realized how ridiculous that was. How could I step out in faith if I was still holding back? I knew that for me, I had to start with a full 10%. I took the money out in cash to be sure that I didn’t accidentally spend it. I remember putting it in the offering envelope and gasping a little. It looked like a lot of money. I said a very simple little prayer “Dear God, Please take this and spend it much better than I could. Remind me that You promised to take care of me. Help me to spend wisely. Amen.”
Sunday came and I put the little envelope in the offering. Two weeks came and went and the other 90% lasted just fine until payday. I wish I could say that I wasn’t surprised. I was. Week after week there were groceries in my cupboards and gas in my car. It was, as God had promised it would be, enough.
It’s almost the end of the year now and by God’s grace I can say that tithing is almost a habit. It is always an act of surrender but it is also a reminder that God’s economy is not the same as mine. He can take my little bit and use it to bless someone in ways I could never imagine. He can take the resources I have and make them just exactly what I need. Finally, almost a year later, I’m not so surprised.
If you have struggled in the area of tithing, be encouraged that God doesn’t ask us to go it alone. Come to Him with your fears and hesitations, ask for His Spirit to give you the will to be obedient and to stand by you as you see it through.
God wants to be our leverage in living, empowering us to live as He has told us to live. Do you need more of God in your life to help you walk in obedience? Ask God to come alongside you as you seek to serve Him. Ask for His Spirit to bring out the fruit of the Spirit in your life. Why not pray this simple prayer and by faith invite Him to fill you with His Spirit:
“Dear Father, I need you. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you by directing my own life. I thank you that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
14 Responses to “Trusting God to Give”
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Thank you so much on the article on Tithing. I too thought I trusted God, but i realize that I wasn’t trusting him to meet my needs completely. As you said tithing tells God we TRUST HIM.
Thank you!!!
i grew up hearing about tithing. i have gone to diff churches and dropped what little i had into the offering plate or in the envelope. I just have a hard time with the ten percent thing. God has been good to us, we rent but its a place over our heads, etc. we have nothing in the house to eat. But we survive from pay day to pay day somehow. wht is weird is that we were talking to someone last nite about the ten percent and hubby and th eother guy were arguing as hubby and I can only put in what we can. ten percent is like 148 we would have to give out, however, that 148 goes towards rent, or another bill. if we were to giveup that money to pay the bill, or rent, then how would our bills get met without causing us to lose the electric, the water or the placeover our heads. maybe our landlord dont see the tithing or christ as we do, or maybe the same with the elect. or water. then what? can live here free.
er cant live here free
Thank you for this article. It’s as if you’ve written them from my own experiences.
I discovered the joys of tithing three years ago, and as most people find it, it was difficult at the beginning. Then someone at church put tithing in an entirely different perspective. Tithing, he says, isn’t giving 10% but getting 90% from a business partnership. If we do look at it that way, then we could even say that God would be at short end of the stick. He provides everything, He gives the wealth, the health and the opportunities, and all He asks for is ten percent. The truth is, God doesn’t really need our money, but He requires our obedience. And that’s what makes tithing pleasing to the Lord.
Tithing is a covenant with God but I sometimes pay my tithe sometimes not and this due to disorbedience I should say. Because with good money or without good money tithing must be there.
Thank you
I really appreciate this subject matter for this article. I would humbly say that i am a product of the promises attached to tithing. I’ll urge all believers to be faithful to GOD when submitting their tithe, and trust only on Him. Infact, he is real.
keep the article coming. we are ready to learn from them.
thank you.
Wow, this is a very important subject for my family and I right now. From the start of my Christian walk, almost 22 yrs. ago now, I was taught and have believed that tithing is an important way to bless the Kingdom of God, and also to trust and honor Him with my first fruits. These days, my family and I REALLY struggle with paying our bills as TONS of unseen things have come our way to increase our need for finances. We are praying about how to meet our bills. When I think of the money we give toward tithing each month, it is indeed tempting to hold back money and use it for bills. But, we only want to honor the Lord and so we will pray. Thank you for sharing this today. It REALLY hits home.
There are some great comments on here, I appreciate them all, thank you.
Tithing is not an easy issue. It’s very personal and it hits a lot of buttons for many of us. I have had seasons where I have tithed like a pro and seasons when I have not. It’s a step of faith, and like all steps of faith it requires us to step out into something we can’t control, and that’s scary. But what is amazing about God is that He only requires such a tiny little step. If I can make one move toward Him, He will cover the rest of the distance.
I’m not saying it’s easy, and I’m not suggesting that I’m really good at it. It’s a path I continue to walk and I know a lot of others walk it with me.
Money is tight for a lot of people right now and I wish I could say “Oh, you have bills to pay, here’s the answer to fix everything.” But I don’t have that answer. What I do know is this: I know that God is merciful. I know that He promises to take care of us. I know that as parents there is a responsibility to provide for children and as citizens we have pay what we owe.
In my experience, God is not about numbers and charts, He’s about the heart. So if things are really bad right now I’d see if there’s a way to give anything. Ignore the percentages and if you can give $5 and tell God that you’re trying and this is your place to start. As soon as you can do that tithing goes back to being something that you are doing rather than something you are not doing. It becomes part of your life again and can grow from there.
Sooo many times God has been more faithful to me then I’ve been to Him. I struggle but i know i’m forgiven, What I’ve been doing is just getting a momey for my tithes and make out right then so I can’t use it for something else
Thank God for this article. He is a faithful God indeed. It really pays to obey this commandment, He is always there to supply all our needs according to His riches in christ Jesus.
I don’t earn any money but I have found a way to give back to the church and God. We give what we can money wise (retired) and I help by quilting (we sell the quilts which is money for the church), help run Children’s Church, help with dinners, and am usually available for anything else we have going on. I say usually because I was supposed to have contributed to the Bazaar today but I have the flu. I give time. Is that considered tithing as well? I am but a humble servant to the Lord.
Oh there is also Emmaus and anything else I can get into. Thank you for the article.
Hi Carole,
I have heard of people tithing their time, and I think it absolutely counts. The heart of tithing was never the money. It was always about saying “Everything I have, and everything I am is God’s and I remind myself of this but intentionally returning a portion to Him.”
I think for many of us, giving of our time is a harder sacrifice than giving our money. Churches cannot be loving communities if no one is there to help. I know that God sees your service and it is beautiful.
I have been paying tithe based on my salary and not on the extra income I make outside my salary, is it right. Also I pay my tithe to two different churches where I worship by dividing my tithe into two. Is it ok.
Nnamdi