Friday, June 15, 2007

Tit for Tat Tithing?

Wonder how many believers soothe the sting of dropping their Ten in the bucket by thinking, "God said he'd reward me for giving and I could sure use some big ol' abundance right now ... so dear Lord please make it happen"?

Like writing your tithe check on Sunday amounts to making a weekly payment on your Heavenly Rewards insurance policy. Just in case something bad happens, I wanna make sure I'm all paid up in advance so I'll have coverage.

Or maybe we think tithing somehow keeps God obligated and in our debt: God, I did for you ... now you start doing something for me! Naaah, doesn't work that way.

If tithing stings like a spider bite or feels like an onerous obligation (or you're making secret wishes as you toss your coins, hoping the bucket is God's private wishing well) then I think we're missing what tithing's all about.

Not that we should tithe from guilt either, because Christ paid our debts in full, but How much would you pay someone else to die in you or your family's place? How much is a sacrifice like that really worth? Seems like it's easier to focus on our pain, and what's in front of us, than the pain someone else endured on our behalf.

Tithing should be a time for remembering Thank You ... you did it all in my place and that's a debt I can never repay. I believe you're a big God and my tiny tithe is one of the least things I can do that shows how much I'm grateful ... and how much I mean it.

1 comment:

jared said...

good word here about tithing. We should always be challenged to give more because of how God gave to us.