You’ve just put your tithes into the offering plate. Now, getting out of the financial mess you’re in is all up to God. Right? Luke 6:38 – “Give and it will be given to you…” (NIV) You say, “Surely God will keep His Word and cause more money to come my way. The ball is in God’s court because I’ve done my part. I’m going to be patient and wait on God. I will not lose faith because I know being a tither will get me out of this jam.”
Tithing promises
The perception exists that tithing (giving 10% of your income to your local church) is the only thing God requires of us before pouring out financial blessings. The bible does promise a reward for tithing. Malachi 3:10 – “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.” (NIV) The truth, however, is that tithing is just the beginning.
Imagine if you will a “spiritual” basketball game in which you and God play on the same team. Tithing is how you get God off of the bench and into the game, but you still have to shoot and score yourself. You cannot take a seat on the bench and expect God to single-handedly win the game. Your tithe is the tool that God uses to “…rebuke the devourer for your sakes.” Malachi 3:11 (NKJV) The Forces of Satan, the team you and God are playing against, are held back by God to allow you as a tither to press on toward the goal of financial prosperity. It’s a team effort. You will win the game, and thus receive financial increase, not because God did all of the scoring but because you did your part as well.
What is my part?
You ask, “What is my part?” James 2:17 – “…faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (NIV) This is where many tithers fall short. They give their tithes, but then go sit on the bench to watch God do something miraculous. While God certainly can bring a miracle in the form of unexpected income, He usually does not cause a large check to show up in your mailbox just because you threw 10% (or even more) into the plate. God usually brings extra income by opening up doors for better employment, additional education, skill development, or even revealing areas where your spending has been out of control. Tithing is your act of faith, but God expects you to put some action with your faith by walking through the open doors that He provides.
The most critical action required in order to score is this: Properly manage the other 90% through the use of a monthly spending plan (i.e. by making a budget). Utilizing a spending plan for what you already have shows God you have a plan for handling the resources He provides. It’s the most tangible way to put action with your faith and results in God entrusting you with more. In the parable of the talents, the master praises two servants for how well they managed the resources entrusted to them. Matthew 25:21, 23 – “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.” (NIV)
God gives every bird it’s food…
God will not do your part for you. It’s your responsibility to put in the employment application, work hard, cut out unnecessary spending, and live on a budget (and stick to it). This is how tithers win the game of financial increase, by working pro-actively with God as a team to better their situation. “God gives every bird it’s food, but He does not throw it in the nest.” (J.G. Holland) Likewise, “The haves and the have-nots can often be traced back to the dids and did-nots.” (D.O. Flynn)
Tithing alone will not get the job done, but it is a necessary first step. If you’re not tithing, start IMMEDIATELY. Afterwards, don’t become a spectator. Do YOUR part to make financial increase become a reality. You may not be waiting on God for your increase after all. He may be waiting on you to put some action with your faith. Go score
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I see people do this (giving with expectation yet without doing their own part). I have never figured out what to say, so therefore I assume that I need to keep my mouth shut and pray for them (as I hope they are praying for me and my own shortcomings). This is an area of growth. Very good post!
While I agree that the actions you outline above are all God’s will for our life, I don’t think it follows that financial prosperity DEFINITELY follows from tithing, having a good work ethic and keeping a budget. I’ve heard stories even from my pastor where their faith was tested by working full-time for the church while not being certain if his family would have food to put on the table tomorrow. Just as God allows the unsaved to be wealthy in this world, so also can He call His people to live a life of poverty. It is our soul that is being tested, and all the rewards for managing life and finances properly are only guaranteed in heaven.
Michael, good point. God knows each person and their heart. He wants only the best for His children but like any good parent, He won’t put things in our lives that will cause us to stumble. I know many people who are faithfully tithe because of their commitment to keeping God first in their life. They are storing up treasures in heaven, treasures that won’t loose their value or cause us to have less faith and trust in God. I think of a member of our church who is currently serving in Chad as a missionary. If anyone had a good reason not to tithe, it would be him. But he has continued to tithe to the church; not because he is hoping that God is going to heap treasures on him here on earth but because he knows the real reward, the real treasures, will be an eternal treasure in Heaven.
Thanks everyone for your comments. Jeremiah 29:11 speaks of the good plans that God has for us, including prosperity. Proverbs 10:4 tells us how to make those plans come to pass – through diligence. No one can go wrong managing their money and life with diligence. The rewards will be great. I’ve heard it said many times, you can’t go wrong doing the right thing.
Excellent post. This was so easy to read and understand and I appreciate how you tied your points to scripture. Thank you.
Neat stuff. I never seen myself and God as teammates. That’s interesting.
Tithing is not commanded for the new testament church. The Holy Spirit should guide and instruct our giving. the tithing law is dead, and cannot teach us and train us in the way that the Spirit does.
- jared
Hi Bob,
Haven’t been by this way in a while. How are you holding up?
Anyways take care and regards to the family
Yes I agree, I think Tithing only opens up the windows of heavens (Mal 3:10). What’s going to bring increase is wisdom and hard work. We got to work WITH God, and not wait for God to work FOR us.
While I believe in giving, tithing is a slippery slope at best. When you start to obey Old Testament laws where does it end?
Positionally, we are seated with Christ in heavenly places and, as New Covenant believers, we are joint-heirs with Christ–not servants like they were in the Old Testament. Therefore, though some claim to have been blessed by tithing, it was the faith exercised rather than the 10% given that brought blessing.
In 2 Cor 8:9 it states that Christ bore our poverty in the same way he bore our sins and diseases. You are either blessed because of your tithing or you are blessed by faith in what God already did for you in Christ BUT NOT a combination of the two. “By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” We live by a higher standard but that standard is NOT to do better than they did in the Old Testament; the standard is our position in Christ by virtue of the New Birth.
We should not be trying to open the windows of heaven when we are seated far above them in Christ Jesus.
Jesus said that all that the Father has is ours. And we are trying to “get God off of the bench”? God got off the bench and won the game for us 2000 years ago. We need to thank Him for what He has already done instead of trying to get Him to do something.
However, we always seem to fall back onto law when it comes to receiving anything from God.
A God who is defined as an external being, supernatural in power, who hands out rewards and punishment according to human deserving, is a rather primitive, childlike deity. No change will occur until this definition is raised to consciousness and dealt with.
Many adults have never moved beyond their childhood religious fantasies, so that they do not know how to cope with hard human realities; hence they seek comfort in the simplicity of yesterday in the protective arms of a heavenly parent.
I tithed for 30 years before I found out that God never asked for a tithe in the form of money. He did ask for an offering in the form of money, becuase the Jews had an onging moneteary money system. The Isrealite farmers were the ones asked to tithe to the Levites. Giving money in the NT has no percentage set and to set one as 10 percent is categorically unscriptural. Here’s why I resigned from tithing:
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewshortstory.asp?id=46946