I want to start out with a blog from our dear friend Susan Hawkins who writes a blog daily. The Lord has really had this topic of “tithing” on my heart for the last several weeks as I have tried to objectively examine it without guilt or condemnation. I loved Susan’s approach that “You can’t outgive God”. Susan wrote the following from Luke 6:38.
“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.
Capture the hidden meaning of what I said, “It is better to give than to receive.” To give is to take that which is yours and make it someone else’s. It is sacrificial and expects nothing in return. It is giving from a heart of love and preferring someone else over yourself. This is the type of giving that was meant in this verse. You do not give with ulterior motives but out of a heart of thanksgiving and gratefulness for all that you have been given by blessing someone with what you have been blessed with receiving.
And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:35
I know that you get blessed by giving to others when they are grateful and give you thanks but that is not an ulterior motive that is an overflow of receiving a blessing. In return, they are to bless others as you have blessed them if they are living out the scripture. Will you do this, bless others with what you have been blessed to receive? I tell you that you cannot out give Me. I will open the floodgates of heaven and pour out more than you can hold therefore offering you even more ability to bless others with giving. It is God’s way of life and should be yours too if you follow Him.
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 there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. Malachi 3:10-11
Let go of the temporal things child and let God use you as a conduit of His love and grace as you are motivated to give to others. Let your hearts be full of gladness as you take from the bounty that is yours and bless those who are without the means to pay you back. I am their guarantor and will give back to you seven times more than you gave away. It is My law of reciprocity and I will do it says the Lord Most High.”
Thank you Susan, that was excellent!
I think we miss something in today’s teachings on giving. Because tithing involves currency we value, we often look at tithing regarding what I get in return. Even “faith” teachers focus on us when we give to God. Even though the return is certainly a benefit of giving and tithing, That should be only a side benefit and not the motivation behind giving. God’s purpose behind anything always goes deeper then we initially see or understand. As the prophet Isaiah says in the book named after him; Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Tithing and giving are perhaps that greatest forms of worship possible. Even King David discovered this truth as he both bought and paid for the threshing floor of Hashem. He could not sacrifice to the Lord on ground that hod cost him nothing. Because of his obedience and sacrifice, the pestilence was lifted off Israel.
Even Abraham knew this when he offered a tithe to Melchizedek. He knew that it was only God who gave the power to make rich. He did not receive the gifts from the king from Sodom and Gomorrah because His testimony was the presence and provision from the Lord.
God will test the depth of your commitment when it comes to money. Do you love money, or do you love the Lord? According to the scriptures you can’t love both.
Would it be possible that the nation would experience national revival if 100 % of the American church tithed. Apparently so according to the scriptures. Notice what Malachi says will be the response to our tithing; Malachi 3:10 (ESV)
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
Let’s make sure our motives are pure when it comes to tithing. It all belongs to Him anyway. Like Abraham, let’s tithing not out if burden but out of worship for God loves a “cheerful giver”! 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (ESV)
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
“Lord, we repent when we don’t give to you. Help us to change our motives in giving in that we will give you our tithes and contributions not from compulsion but out of a true heart of love and worship toward you not expecting anything in return!”