I believe there is a reason you go through certain experiences that shape who you are as a person. Character building comes from experience; the good and the bad. I try to look at everything that I experience (especially the bad) as a lesson waiting to be learned.
One of my favorite quotes is “Lesson continues until lesson is learned.”
Here is the continuing lesson that I have had to learn, “This money we earn is not MY money.” Now I’m not saying that because I’m a stay-at-home mom the money my husband earns is not mine…no, no, no. I’m saying that any money we bring into our home is not ours…it’s Gods. Everything we obtain comes from my Father in heaven.
For a long time, I was under the impression that the money I earned came from me. I didn’t tithe and I thought the only charity that deserved my money was me.
Selfish…I know.
Embarrassed…now I am.
I was ignorant…I didn’t recognize the truth.
We went to an awesome church called Mclean Bible Church in VA and Pastor Lon Solomon did a series on Tithing. Both my husband and I were convicted. We had been married about a year and a half and had never tithed. We didn’t have a church that we found as a couple and attended regularly until then.
When the topic of tithing came up for our finances I tried to resist,
But…we don’t make a lot of money.
But… we have MASSIVE amounts of school loans.
But…how are we going to pay ALL our bills?
Surely God doesn’t EXPECT money from me when we are soooooo broke….uh, surely HE does!
Okay, if you are expecting a theological discussion on tithing at this point. Sorry to disappoint. I am not a theological master and I do not do well in debate. One needs to come to the conclusion about tithing with one’s own research and spiritual guidance.
If you want to hear some great messages on economics you can watch or listen to recent series called Economic Atheist from 12Stone Church. Or listen to what Why I Tithe from that same series.
We decided to tithe, but I had very difficult time doing it. So whenever I did the bills, my husband wrote our tithe check. Why? Because I didn’t want to be grumbling under my breath every time I wrote the check. God wants a cheerful giver…I was the antithesis. (…to be continued…again.)
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