Money is a touchy subject—we all know we need it and some of us want more than we have and some of us have no idea what to do with the money we do have, and then there’s this whole Christians-should-give-God-some-of-it thing.
A woman shared with my DTS (Discipleship Training School) class that her family tithed exactly ten percent of everything God gave them, down to rice and beans. A pastor’s son told me that his father felt he didn’t need to tithe because he was in the ministry. I’ve heard some say that you must tithe to a church, and then give offerings to missions on top of that. Others stress the importance of giving God your first fruits, the first and best portion of what you receive.
They all use the Bible to support their beliefs.
I’ve tried pretty much all of the above (except counting rice and beans), and I’ve found that there is, indeed, a reward when you give of your money and possessions. Sometimes that reward is simply peace of mind that God has got my back—he pays for what he orders, after all!
In the last Old Testament book, Malachi, God challenges us to test him with our finances—the only thing he says we can test him in. Why? Not so that we can consider God our personal slot machine where we win every time (put in a quarter, win $200). No, I believe the challenge is first to shake up our thinking a bit, and then to see how relevant we believe God is in the area of our finances: “Could God up in Heaven really understand how badly I need to make my mortgage payment this month here on earth?” Lastly, I believe God would like us to participate in The Great Generosity Challenge. Playing instructions? Give out of your necessity. Give your last $20, even if you know you’re supposed to get groceries on your way home tonight. Help your neighbor instead of going to a movie. Lend your new iPod to a friend, and don’t obsess about getting it back. Write a check for $100 to that new ministry in town, even though it means you’ll have to wait twice as long as you have already waited to get those new shoes you need.
The moral of the story: Consider what should, in the eyes of the world, be most valuable to you as not yours at all, but God’s. Then, simply be a spiritual forklift operator, transferring when needed the bounty from your barns to those of another, as per the invoice received from the Holy Spirit. Don’t forget to enjoy the bounty that remains in your barn while it is there!
You will find yourself rich… in heart, soul, mind, and body.
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