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[Child of JC]

Is God in contol of your finances? Are you a good stewart? What was your first steps in first living this way? Are you a cheerful giver?

I have tithed, but never has it been regular. (This is not a debate about tithing.) When I get extra money, I have never considered that it was from God and that I could use it to further His kingdom. I'm experiencing new convictions, and I'm a little excited! Just today I received 39.00 in the mail. What keeps coming to mind is "if I'm faithful with little, then I will be faithful with much".

Anyway, anyone have advice or a testimony?

 

[HoT-MetaL]

I never have tithed, but often give up offerings. When I gave regularly I found my finances were really blessed. I think I will be tithing regularly soon.

God Bless, metal.

 

[ChrisCountryGirl]

Is God in contol of your finances? Are you a good stewart? What was your first steps in first living this way? Are you a cheerful giver?

I have tithed, but never has it been regular. (This is not a debate about tithing.) When I get extra money, I have never considered that it was from God and that I could use it to further His kingdom. I'm experiencing new convictions, and I'm a little excited! Just today I received 39.00 in the mail. What keeps coming to mind is "if I'm faithful with little, then I will be faithful with much".

Anyway, anyone have advice or a testimony?

I think I could do better. Right now, I'm trying to pay off my debt that I have. I want to be a giving person but I'm having a hard time with it.

 

[Hishandmaiden]

I am having a hard time, now, too, but I do set aside some parts of my money regularly to give to God.

 

[Child of JC]

I have a hard time too, and it's not that I am a materialistic person, or a person who always desirses more money.
I heard a teaching once and the preacher talked about a spirit called mammon.
Luk 16:13
(ASV) No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

the preacher said that this spirit's job is to keep us from relying on God and trusting God with our finances. Of course we cant blame our actions on evil spirits, but it's good to recongnize that the force is there. The truth is God loves a cheerful giver, and as believers he has entursted us to do so.

I trust God with so much, I'm kinda sad that this is so hard.

I'll pray for you, you pray for me?

 

[nathan82]

A good point comes from Job 1:

21 and said:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart. [c]
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."

God gives us dominion over our money, but remember that it can just as easily dissapear (either through bad spending, gambling, etc.). We are like stewards to the riches that God has provided us.

 

[Sennaria]

I tithe....and actually I give more than 10% of my personal income as I am a steward of a fairly new small business He gave me and I don't pull a steady income yet. But I have found, that as I tithe + I have what I need on a daily basis. I may not always understand where it is coming from, but I usually have it or at least things work out well. I know, one time, I quit tithing temporarily for I thought I did not have the money to do so.....bad mistake, money started to not go so far, bills added up and I lost the confidence to fight because I knew I had not been faithful.
I started tithing again and things rather straightened out, and not just financially. I pray over my inventory, like the loaves and the fishes and my inventory lasts longer and goes further for what it is bringing in etc.
I pray over the food we put out that it be nourishment to our customer's body as the atmosphere and cafe will provide a nourishing food for their soul.
We haven't made it into the black yet, but I know that it is not because of tithing, it is because He is yet teaching us other lessons, and when we do hit the black, we will be able to handle it, and will be good stewards of it and continue to do for others with it. I truly feel if I hadn't started tithing, I probably would not still be open, for I would have been an unfaithful, ungrateful steward of what He gave me.

Sennaria