Tithing?
"God asks for 10%. Servers ask for about 18%. Don't ask me what percent the government asks."
That's what just ran through my mind. Strangely enough, it is God that gives us our 100% in the first place.
I haven't been a very good tither. More accurately, I've been a rather poor tither.
The pun just hit me.
I don't give very generously.
Proverbs 3:9-10 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
2 Corinthians 9:7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Genesis 28:20-22 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”
There are always more pertinent passages, but I start with these few.
When I think about my firstfruits, I think about my poetry. Money is kind of this thing that gets some things done, but my poetry is my craft, my little treasures that I wish always to share but never to lose. Some of them are less sightly treasures, but I cherish them nonetheless. I've never counted in any way, but I'm pretty sure more than 10% of my poetry is devoted rather explicitly to God.
When I think about my wealth, I think about my wife. "A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown" (Proverbs 12:4). I think a crown counts as wealth, but how do I tithe my crown? Devoting a tenth of my wife to God. . .? I'm not the best spiritual head, but I try to set aside time where we talk with God and read His word. Is that tithing?
A cheerful giver? I love giving when I find opportunities. Megan especially has given me a bold heart of giving food to people. A number of times now, as we've walked through various cities, we've bought food for people who wanted money. There was only one very strange man that, I believe, just wanted something less healthy than food. All the others, however, seemed quite encouraged. One time, a run-down war veteran just wanted some ice cream. He had a scratchy looking beard and such a happy smile. He was lean, tired, but so thankful. I forget his name.
I've tried very hard to gain the skill of giving cheerfully. One time, I lent my brother my Carcassonne Big Box. Let me tell you: it is a very precious entity that I barely entrust to my wife. My board games are on par with my poetry. A while ago, I felt my own uptightness about my board games, and I determined to lend Carcassonne to my brother. Mind you, he has two very polite young boys. However, it doesn't matter how polite they are: peanut-butter fingers, curiosity, taking, throwing, hiding, losing, and more peanut-butter. In the end, I got Carcassonne back completely unharmed.
That was a while ago. Since then, I've tried to hold in my mind "I really want this thing, so I will get it for or give it to someone else." In those instances, I am a cheerful giver.
Jacob vowed to God: "all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you." Would it please God if I sacrificed a tenth of my books? A tenth of my poems? A tenth of my video games? A tenth of my board games?!
"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). What does that mean?
Money of course comes into play. Partially, I haven't trusted God. Partially, I never carry cash or checks. How soon do you think they'll let you swipe a card to give your tithe? Really, quite honestly, I'd probably be a pretty solid tither if they let me do it digitally.
Hmm.
That's what just ran through my mind. Strangely enough, it is God that gives us our 100% in the first place.
I haven't been a very good tither. More accurately, I've been a rather poor tither.
The pun just hit me.
I don't give very generously.
Proverbs 3:9-10 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
2 Corinthians 9:7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Genesis 28:20-22 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”
There are always more pertinent passages, but I start with these few.
When I think about my firstfruits, I think about my poetry. Money is kind of this thing that gets some things done, but my poetry is my craft, my little treasures that I wish always to share but never to lose. Some of them are less sightly treasures, but I cherish them nonetheless. I've never counted in any way, but I'm pretty sure more than 10% of my poetry is devoted rather explicitly to God.
When I think about my wealth, I think about my wife. "A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown" (Proverbs 12:4). I think a crown counts as wealth, but how do I tithe my crown? Devoting a tenth of my wife to God. . .? I'm not the best spiritual head, but I try to set aside time where we talk with God and read His word. Is that tithing?
A cheerful giver? I love giving when I find opportunities. Megan especially has given me a bold heart of giving food to people. A number of times now, as we've walked through various cities, we've bought food for people who wanted money. There was only one very strange man that, I believe, just wanted something less healthy than food. All the others, however, seemed quite encouraged. One time, a run-down war veteran just wanted some ice cream. He had a scratchy looking beard and such a happy smile. He was lean, tired, but so thankful. I forget his name.
I've tried very hard to gain the skill of giving cheerfully. One time, I lent my brother my Carcassonne Big Box. Let me tell you: it is a very precious entity that I barely entrust to my wife. My board games are on par with my poetry. A while ago, I felt my own uptightness about my board games, and I determined to lend Carcassonne to my brother. Mind you, he has two very polite young boys. However, it doesn't matter how polite they are: peanut-butter fingers, curiosity, taking, throwing, hiding, losing, and more peanut-butter. In the end, I got Carcassonne back completely unharmed.
That was a while ago. Since then, I've tried to hold in my mind "I really want this thing, so I will get it for or give it to someone else." In those instances, I am a cheerful giver.
Jacob vowed to God: "all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you." Would it please God if I sacrificed a tenth of my books? A tenth of my poems? A tenth of my video games? A tenth of my board games?!
"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). What does that mean?
Money of course comes into play. Partially, I haven't trusted God. Partially, I never carry cash or checks. How soon do you think they'll let you swipe a card to give your tithe? Really, quite honestly, I'd probably be a pretty solid tither if they let me do it digitally.
Hmm.
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