Good morning
Wolfing!
Did you know that giving (gave) is mentioned more times in the bible than faith, grace, or the ultimate, love? Giving (gave) is mentioned more than 2,000 in the bible. God is the ultimate giver, and we can always go back to John 3:16, for the ultimate gift.
When the Acts church was getting off the ground, everyone gave everything they had for the body. They shared, gave and were joyous! When we give from the heart, not out of obligation, the blessings of God, in whatever form He gives them, is enormous.
For example. If we don't tithe, how can our particular church function? The pastor wouldn't get a salary, he'd have to get another job, and that would take away from his study/research time, and time away from the flock that need him.
If we didn't tithe, our church wouldn't be able to help support Missions, to get the Word of God out there to the lost. If we didn't tithe, childrens programs in the church couldn't be supported, and those lil' precious souls wouldn't get fed the teachings of Jesus.
It's a heart issue. "Where our treasures are, our heart will be also". If our treasure is our house, car, boat, computer, relationship, job, that's where our heart is.
If our heart is with God, we want to help further the kingdom of God, because He is the ultimate giver. Shouldn't we want to be more like Him?
It doesn't have to be a straight 10% of your money. You give what you're able, as long as your heart is in the right place. It could be tithing your time in the childrens program at church, or the soup kitchen. It could be sponsering a child through World Vision. I gotta tell you ~ that's beyond rewarding. We sponser 2, and it's an indescribable feeling.
We figured out, that through donations, sponsering, tithing to the church (and not counting time volunteering), we tithed 17% last year. This is not to boast whatsoever. It's just testimony that God has always provided, even when times were thin. We gotta trust Him to provide
~BF