WHY I TITHE & GIVE OFFERINGS

                                    I wish to alter the perception of tithing in every church I have attended around the world.  There is a petition from the pulpit, there is special music, and it is done in a public display in front of the entire church.  There are some churches even here in my hometown that find out where someone works, how much they make, and send a deacon or elder to approach the person in regard to how much they owe to God, using a guilt methodology.  All interesting to me as I always do my own analysis of the Scripture and don’t do things just because that is how it has always been done.  Jesus was pretty clear about the disciplined approach of a gathering and Paul went into greater detail as he was establishing new churches in “the Way” of Jesus. 

Of note, I have always sent my tithes here as I knew the mission work and dedication they put into it.  They were frugal, industrious, creative, and every penny went to the mission of this church—nothing has changed since 1963 and will continue as long as I am alive.  In both Matthew and Luke, Jesus was highly critical of the scribes and Pharisees for their outward “tithing” rather than focusing on the “weightier matters of the law, justice, mercy, and faithfulness.” Jesus taught that we should practice the higher moral requirements “without neglecting the former” in tithing.  Jesus keenly focused on Spirit-led, cheerful, and sacrificial giving like the poor widow in Mark 12.  I adhere to this as I love Jesus, and He said if I truly love Him, I will keep His commandments.  I asked myself why I tithe and give offerings from my own Spirit-led and driven desires to please God with my all in the ministry. 

Tithes and offerings has been an integral part of my life for as long as I had a job.  I never did the tenth rule, rather, I always gave more.  There were always times when things were financially tight but it was always just a part of my life to budget and plan for.  So, in thinking about this I want to give you my personal and spiritual perspective on why I tithe.  We are not a wealthy church, nor have we ever been, and the bills have to get paid.  Quite frankly, if my wife and I didn’t tithe, we would have to close our doors and sell to the highest bidder.  We simply love our church and church family too much.  Here is a breakdown of why I believe what I do.

                                      First and foremost, I want to provide for God’s house, salt for the sidewalks in the winter, fuel for the lawn equipment, light bulbs, printer paper, A/C in the summer, and heat in the winter, all for the comfort of our church family.  The sweat equity alone is daunting.  For me, this really is a no-brainer as God did not call me or my father to be millionaires.

                                      Secondly, when I give with my all in materials, work, talents, abilities, and financially, I am really telling God just how much I trust Him.  I am doing God’s work sometimes days at a time without sleep.  I’m happy about that even though it is physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining—it’s a calling.

                                      Next, and think about this carefully, when I give my all financially, it creates a margin and a space in my life for God to fill.  It also reminds me that I am NOT my source, but God IS.  It directly connects my money to the purpose of God and not me.  It also gives my job and purpose in serving an eternal significance.  The transformative power of my money to God serves as a seed for His perfect will to minister to others. 

                                      Interestingly, the more I give, the more it breaks any hold of greed and self-reliance off of my heart.  The last thing for me is that it lets everything else in my life know that God is FIRST.

                                      Most importantly, all of my giving allows me to teach and preach the entire Truth of the Scripture without fear of offending those who live a sinful, indulgent life and tickle their ears with false theology.  It is so freeing for me as Jesus said a lot of things that the clergy no longer say from the pulpit chipping away at the very foundation of Christianity.  I don’t care about money as I have the desires of my heart given to me by God in a truly devoted church family, an amazing wife, two great dogs, and four very interesting cats—not certain if they are from God, but it was a package deal to get the amazing wife.

                                      Finally, Jesus commanded me to give with a cheerful heart and give in private.  There’s a plate in the front and the back of our church, no big fanfare, no walking down the aisle, no passing the plate so the next person can see what you gave, it is between you and God.  The thing that makes me smile the most is when the church treasurer puts change in the deposit envelope—no idea who it is from, it’s the fact that someone gave it to God and that may have been all they had.