There are mysteries associated with tithing faithfully to God. However, in this post, I will restrict myself to the basic concepts of tithing to God. I won’t go into the advanced concepts of tithing.
One of the mysteries associated with tithing is that when you cheerfully — and this is the keyword here — devote a tenth of all that you get to God, and you’re faithful — another keyword — in it, it affects every other aspect of your relationship with God; it affects every other aspect of your devotion to God. You begin to find it easy to be devoted to God in prayer, to be devoted in loving other people, and to be devoted to obeying other commands of God.
If you take that other god called mammon – that is money – and devote it to God, your devotion to God in other areas will accelerate.
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
~Matthew 6:24(KJV)
Sometimes, folks come to me and ask, “How do I calculate my tithe?”
Give me a break! When Abraham came back from battle, he gave a tenth of all.
“After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is the King’s Valley). Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High who delivered your enemies into your hand.’ Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”
~Genesis 14: 17-20
Whenever some folks want to be dishonest, when they want to trick God, they start asking certain questions. They know what is right, but they ask certain questions in the hope that they can manipulate their tithing to God.
Personally, I give God a ‘tithe’ of all, my ‘tithe’ is not 10%, and I don’t do the whole nine yards of separating capital from profit. This is a matter of personal decision, though. I tithe the whole money that comes in even from any businesses I do. Do you know why? Because I also don’t want God to calculate for me. I don’t want God to start separating ‘capital’ from ‘profit’ too when He is doing something for me.
That’s why the Apostle Paul in speaking to the Corinthian church said:
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”
~2 Corinthians 9:6
Sparingly means with mathematical calculations. When you sow with mathematical calculations and surgical operations, then you’ll also reap with mathematical calculations and surgical operations. You begin to get such money like sixty three dollars, ninety cents. You tell the person to round it off to the nearest whole number, but he refuses. Just like they do in the bank; they’ll count out the coins and give to you. Anyway this is beyond the scope of what I want to deal with in this post.
I urge you today to resolve in your heart to be faithful to God in your tithing. It’s an act of worship. It’s an expression of gratitude, allegiance, loyalty and submission to God. Stop living a foolish life!
Memory Verse:
2 Corinthians 9:6
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”Prayer:
Heavenly Father, strengthen my resolve to be faithful to you in my tithing today and always, in Jesus’ name.
Amen.