Why I Tithe: Part 2 of 4

Jeff Lampl

Why I Tithe: Part 2 of 4

Why I didn't get cynical
about the Church always asking for money
and why I think every Christian should build a line item into their annual budget for tithing.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart;

do not depend on your own understanding.  

Seek his will in all you do,

and he will show you which path to take.

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.

Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.  

Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.  

Honor the LORD with your wealth

and with the best part of everything you produce.  

Then he will fill your barns with grain,

and your vats will overflow with good wine.

Proverbs 3:5-10 (NLT)

I’m not really a cynical person anyway, but the most important thing that I understood when I first decided to follow Christ in my early 30’s was that God was in my corner and that He wanted my best.  That much was clear from beginning to understand the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.   Therefore I just figured that the bible’s teaching that I should tithe meant that God must think that My giving 10% of my income is a good thing for me to do.   

But how could it be good for me to give away more money than I think I can afford?

The Proverbs passage above helped me.   For one thing it tells me to depend on God no myself.   My own reasoning will find every single rationale that exists for giving less than 10%.   I’m really, really good at find loopholes.  So how does show me the “path to take”?   I’ve got the bible and I figured that if I don’t obey, or believe, or trust the only thing I have left to go on is me and the opinion of others.    I concluded therefore, that the bible was there to ensure we had to trust something (God) over and above my own rationalizations.   I couldn’t get around that conclusion.

But the passage goes even further.   It says that when we take the best part of the harvest (the income from the work we have invested) and give it to God, then God rewards us.   So yes, part of my deciding to take God at his word in the Bible and give Him through the church 10% of my income, was believing that God would reward me.   I guess that was a little bit self-serving, but however self-serving my motives might have been, it turns out that for over three decades, God has provided abundantly more for Kathy and me and my family than we could have every hoped or imagined, primarily in intangible things, BUT ALSO with tangible provisions and gifts beyond measure.

(Click here to read part one of my story of why I tithe.  Part 3 will come in the near future)

Lord, after all these years, if there’s anything in the world that I have discovered it is the simple but profound message of Psalm 23:1, “Because you are my shepherd, I have everything I need”.   Forgive me when my wantings exceed the passions of the heart of a giver, your heart, which you have placed within me.  Just as I accept your forgiveness,s I also accept the freedom you have given me, a freedom which allows

generosity to drive my giving  -  without fear – free from  the clutches of greed.  Amen”