I generally don’t talk about giving on the internet, but perhaps, one-on-one, over a good cup of coffee, I might share our experiences with tithing. So, in reading this article, please imagine that it’s just you and me, and we’re having a quiet, personal conversation …
I “met” Jesus while a Senior in High School, and became seriously interested in following Him, while in college. I’ll never forget one college group gathering, when a friend stood up to talk about giving.
She said that it was biblical to give your first 10% to God, and she had been doing that, out of her paycheck. One day, she all-of-a-sudden realized that the IRS was getting money, first…BEFORE she even got money (that is, her paycheck was NET, after the IRS withholdings), and she felt duped! She realized that God wasn’t getting His share…and she immediately vowed to give 10% of her GROSS Pay, from then on. It took a bite out of her budget, but she stuck with it and was glad.
At the time, I was a poor college student, and I vowed that I would never fall into that trap. I made up my mind that, once I got a real paycheck, the first thing I would do was look for the Gross Pay and tithe 10% of THAT.
Of course, it was several years before I GOT a real paycheck : ) And, what fun it was to write out that first tithe check to my church. I made up my mind, from the very beginning, that every time I noted my paycheck deposit in my check register, the very first thing I would do was write my tithe check. To this day, I don’t total my check register after a deposit, but only after the tithe check has been written.
Fortunately, John grew up in a family that tithed…10% of income to the church and then any money given to other charities or projects, came above-and-beyond that. So, it was easy to keep up my own tithing habits, and nice to have a clear, consistent guideline for giving.
It’s fun to give!
When I left Corporate America, with its steady paychecks, we wrestled with how to tithe 10% of the profit of our business. After all, now my income is highly inconsistent and terribly unreliable. Business expenses, though, came regular as rain. What to do?
We prayed about it and discussed it and then happily decided to tithe off the Gross Income, just like before. We simply decided to trust that God would provide.
And, He has.
We’ve made some stupid financial decisions, to be sure. And, we have faced terribly tight times. However, we have never, not even once, kept that first 10% to ourselves.
Now, years later, it’s easy. It ALWAYS feels great to write that check and it’s never something to struggle over.
God has lavished blessings upon us all…physically and mentally and spiritually, not to mention financially…He has blessed all of us beyond our comprehension. He even graces us with His Presence! 10% of our finances seems like such a small token amount to “give back” to Him.
Of course, God cares more about His relationship with us than our money. It all belongs to Him, anyway! And He calls everyone to different purposes. This is just a peek into our own perspective on tithing…
Julie Eidson