Yes, this is finally one of those promised posts! Thanks for you patience!
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It was one of those books where you don’t stop saying ‘yes,
yes, oh yes.’ To be completely honest,
"Money, Possessions and Eternity" by Randy Alcorn was one of the most
challenging books I've ever read. Where, as every chapter ends, you feel a convicting
pinch in your heart and know you have an application to put into practice. Where
every page has a new amazing point or an old concept phrased perfectly. Put
simply, I loved it, and DEFINITELY recommend it to every Christian, especially
us teens who are just venturing into the big wide world of money and
possessions.
One of the things in the book that most struck me was Randy's
teaching on tithing. I've always heard of tithing and believed it’s important -
my parents taught me to tithe ever since I was old enough to know what 'money'
meant. But Randy didn’t just remind me of the ‘what’ of tithing, but also the
‘why.' Where before it had been just a practice I knew had some sort of good
reason for it, now the motivations behind it came very much alive to me.
Perhaps I should clarify the ‘what’ first though. Tithing is
giving 10% of all income back to God. It’s an Old Testament precept (first
commanded in Leviticus 27:30) that carries through to New Testament believers, firstly
because it is not specifically fulfilled or negated by the coming of Christ
(unlike things such as sacrifices, not eating pork, etc), and secondly because
Jesus endorsed it (Matthew 23:23).
That’s the ‘what.’ What did I learn about the ‘why?’ Well,
quite a few things.
- The
Biblical backing for the ‘why tithe?’ question is answered by what I
mentioned above about Christ affirming it and it not being overridden by
the NT. That is definitely something I learnt – where it came from
Biblically, and why it’s still important now.
- Probably
the biggest ‘why’ I discovered is that it teaches us that 'our' money
is not ours but God's. And that's a HUGELY important lesson
nowadays, with an increasingly materialistic world surrounding us. Randy
consistently reminded me that our money is God's - we are just His
temporary managers! We will answer to God for every decision we make. Giving back a tenth of our money to
God is one of the best things we can do to remind us of this wonderful and
solemn privilege. It just... does something. It reminds us, even
subconsciously, that money is not permanently ours. Pushing some money
constantly out of our hands it reminds us reminds us that we never had a
hold on any of it in the first place and never will.
- Promised
rewards in this life is another reason to tithe. No, no, tithing does not
mean that God will make us rich. It does not mean that suddenly everything
will be smooth. Randy was very clear that he was not preaching prosperity
gospel. But Malachi 3:10 and 12 does say this: ' "Bring the whole
tithe... 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 is not be room enough to store it. Then all nations will call
you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the Lord
Almighty.' God blesses those who tithe! And blessings come in many forms,
not just money, and not just material.
- For
the joy of it! As I can attest to, it is an utter joy to tithe, not a
burden! There is such freedom that comes when tithing teaches us that our
money is not ours! And I love musing over the
wonder that God is using our tithe to bless others more than we can know,
and more than we can imagine! Plus just think of the blessing tithing brings
upon the remainder of ‘our’ (God’s) money! Tithing is a joy! It can only
be a burden if we forget the promises of God and the fact that it’s all
His money.
- Why
not? To be honest, I cannot think of a single reason not to tithe (and
yes, I’ve tried to think of one!). Most arguments can be refuted by two
facts: (1) our money is God's not ours, and (2) He promises to provide for
those who honour Him with everything they have, and to bless everything
sacrificed to Him.
So that’s what I’ve learnt about tithing. While my practice
has remained the same, the heart and head behind it is all the better for
knowing why I’m doing it.
What are your thoughts on tithing? Is it important?
Cassie xoxoxo
