I remember when the Lord provided me with a full-time teaching position, right out of college. His timing was perfect and I was so excited. I also remember realizing how much 10% was of my new, larger paycheck and wondering how I could ever give so much money away. I asked some of my close friends and they said they don't even think about it. They write the check and put it in the offering basket. That advice was good at the time. It made me realize the act of obedience God requires from us until our heart is finally in the place where we give because we want to. Since then, the Lord has taught me much about tithing and giving. I have learned that tithing isn't as cut and dry as people make it out to be. We give of our finances to support our home church that gives so much back to us. We give of our finances to other ministries that God places on our hearts to support. We give of our finances to people who God has placed in our lives that might need some extra help or are just worth sowing into. We also can tithe our time and resources, even our own lives. I have heard people talk about giving a tenth of their life to the Lord whether that is reading His word, praying, entering the mission field, or another myriad of possibilities. Ten percent is a figure that we can find in the Bible, but we can also read about giving it all away and also about having nothing to give but giving what one had. Let the stories in God's Word be a starting place to show us the principles behind giving but then listen to what the Lord is prompting your heart to do. I believe God reveals what tithing is supposed to look like in scripture but sometimes speaks to us all in different ways. Maybe you don't feel like you tithe enough or even at all. Ask God today what it is He wants to show you about how you can support Him and the things He is doing in His Kingdom today! He is worth investing in! Please open your Bible and read Deuteronomy 26 or just click here.
Firstfruits: The first fruit and crops of the harvest. It was usually the best. It came after all the dedication of working the land and brought much joy to the harvesters. It's also a different way of looking at our offerings and tithes. Everything we have comes from God so He deserves our firstfruits. He deserves us thinking about Him first. That is why people say, before anything else, give to God each month and then give to yourself. The truth is, we give to ourselves all of the time. Often, we forget who the Giver of all Gifts is and we go on with our busy lives, spending His money on everything we want and nothing we need. We need to thank Him. We need to bring Him praise. He is glorified when we sow into other people and organizations who desire for God to be made known. Another reason we should learn to give our firstfruits is so that we are always remembering where our blessings come from. That it wasn't of our own doing but because God allowed us to be blessed in the first place. Let's not forget the ultimate goal is that the more we love God, the more we want to show Him that love. Just as a daddy loves and appreciates whatever his son or daughter gives as a gift, so God will love whatever we give to Him - as long as we give with a loving heart. Our our motives pure? Do we give to get? Do we give to look good? Do we give out of guilt? God loves a cheerful giver. Remember, that often we don't start out forking over a large chunk of our paycheck very willingly. Perhaps we begin in obedience. And then, as we realize the good things God is doing with the resources He has given us, our hearts are changed. We see it as a privilege to partner with Him in His works here on Earth.
I want to give God the best I have to offer. I want to give Him the firstfruits as a way to show Him love in return for the love He has shown me. When I think of what this means when it comes to my commitment to a healthier lifestyle, I realize that my body is a temple of God. I give this dwelling place to Him because it is His anyway. Romans 12:1 says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." will sacrifice my wants for His needs. And I truly believe that as I offer my body as a living sacrifice to Him holy and pleasing to God, He will find more ways to use me. After all, giving is really just sacrificing and laying down something that looks like it belongs to us but really has His name written all over it. This life is not my own and I want to live it to the fullest now and always.
Father, give me a heart that wants to give to You every day. Teach me how to stop focusing on me and my wants and think about You and Your needs. You need to be supported by my time and resources to further Your Kingdom. I believe people will come to know You because of what we sow into your people and your ministries. Help me also to offer my own body as a living sacrifice to you daily. I desire to give more and be more. I love you. Amen.
(On another note, this blog has reminded me that I still have not signed us up for automatic deposit at our new home church and have been meaning to so that we never have an excuse not to give. I realize some people would rather do this weekly to make this giving a more sacred time with the Lord during the church service, but babies make life a little crazy for us right now. Paul and I also agree that when Lydia gets a little older, we will put our tithes into the basket to teach her that we always give to God first.)
Now choose life.
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