"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ in tithes and offerings. You are under a curse – the whole nation of you – because you are robbing me. 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.”
Malachi 3:8-10
Pushing the Limit
You’re driving down the road and see a speed limit sign. What do you do? Slow down and stay below the limit? OF COURSE NOT. You push the limit. It is our societal obligation to go as fast as possible!
Bring Your Whole Tithe...
You’re reading the Bible and it says “bring your whole tithe into the storehouse.” What do you do? Start rationalizing? 10% of gross or net?
Tithing was only a requirement of the law. (Be glad we aren’t under the law because the law required closer to 25% over the course of a year!)
Generosity is the Key
God expects and blesses generosity! We need a “speed limit mentality” toward giving - to see tithing not as a maximum to achieve, but a minimum to start.
What does this look like?
Give first. But inflation. But I need new tires. No buts! Commit in advance to give to God first. God has promised to faithfully provide. Test him.
Give spontaneously. Spontaneous giving cultivates a heart of generosity. Have the eyes and the margin to express generosity to others as a spontaneous act of godly generosity.
Give increasingly. Have you received a raise? A bonus? A COLA increase? Grow your giving proportionally. If you have automated online giving, don’t forget to review and adjust periodically.
Give sacrificially. Step out in faith as you are prompted by the Holy Spirit. Allow God to write your testimony of his faithfulness in meeting your needs as you give sacrificially to meet the needs of others.
In reality, tithing is a starting point on the journey to generosity. It is not the destination. Let’s develop a speed limit mentality of generosity as both an act of worship to God and service to others, and in doing so give testimony to God’s goodness and faithfulness.
John Meriweather MD5 Facilitator
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