Turning Tithing Topsy Turvy
Growing up, my parents taught me the importance of tithing – whether it was birthday money or earnings from mowing my neighbor’s lawn, I was always reminded to set aside 10% for God.
As a small child the idea of tithing didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me – if God owned everything, then why did He need my money? Was he a bit short this month? And how did the church ushers get the money to God? So many questions!
But as I got older I found myself slowly drifting away from inquisitiveness and more towards a sense of entitlement. This was MY money that I earned – why should I have to give any away? It didn’t feel fair! So for some seasons my giving became sporadic – there were times where I gave begrudgingly and other times where I did theological acrobatics to justify why I didn’t need to tithe.
It wasn’t until later in life that the light bulb really clicked on. Tithing wasn’t just about funding God’s work on earth, it was actually God’s way of building a surrendered heart within me. Here I thought I was doing God a favor, when really it was the opposite – he was giving me an opportunity to grow!
Isaiah 55:8 reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways…And that’s so true when it comes to tithing. Kingdom economics are topsy turvy…they’re the exact opposite of the world’s views. Jesus teaches that it’s not about holding onto what we have, it’s about giving what we’ve got. When we live this “backwards” way our hearts grow bigger and bigger.
And you know what else is so cool?! Generosity attracts the world’s attention. So when people live generously and give radically it causes others to notice. It makes people wonder why we’re being so selfless and gives us a wide-open window to share about our hope in Jesus. Just as Christ humbly sacrificed his own life, we can reflect that same spirit of generosity and show the world a glimpse of heaven.
I don’t know where you are in your generosity journey. Maybe every other area of your life is sacrificed to God – but you still refuse to tell Him your ATM pin code! Or maybe you’ve been tithing faithfully for years. But here’s what I’ve learned – there’s no arrival in giving. Wherever we are in our journey, Jesus continually invites us to give in a way that stretches our faith and points others to Him.