Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Give Already

Many years ago, I attended a meeting at which several preachers got up to speak. I was a young child at the time and I don’t remember what the other preachers spoke about, but the guy who spoke after lunch spoke about tithing. I’m sure it wasn’t anything you haven’t heard on the subject, but I was so convicted to tithe that I went home, counted all the money in my piggy bank and calculated my tithe, which I then placed in the offering plate the next Sunday. I’ve been giving more than a tithe ever since and I’ve never regretted it.


The tithe, which is ten percent, is at best a good starting point for giving. The Bible tells us that God claims the tithe as his own, so if you want to give God an offering you’ll have to do better than that, but something I saw on the Internet this week indicates that people in their 20s and 30s aren’t giving. It’s been said that if church members would all tithe there would be enough money for everything the church needs to do. I realize some people have trouble starting to tithe because they’ve already overextended themselves. But I wonder if the problem has more to do with other issues. It seems like so many people are neglecting to take on responsibilities that their parents embraced. People won’t give if they don’t see it as their responsibility.


Sadly, people who don’t give are missing out on a great blessing. I don’t really believe that statement about the church having what it needs if everyone would tithe because the fact is that God doesn’t need our money. He can accomplish his purposes without our help, but when I look at what my money has gone to support over the years, I see buildings that have been built, I see radio broadcasts reaching into foreign lands, I see missionaries preaching the gospel, I see students who have gone to college, I see souls that have been saved. Though my part may have been small, I am excited by what has been accomplished. As the Bible says, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Why would I care that there’s radio station broadcasting in a language that I can’t understand if I hadn’t given to support it? Why would I care about the success of a junior college in east Texas if I hadn’t sent part of my treasure to support it? But since I have, I rejoice at their success. Their success is my success.


What more can I say? Give. Give because God commands it. Give because God gives you the opportunity to serve him through giving. Give because God blesses our giving.