POWER OF GIVING

Just when I think I have learned all there is concerning money, giving, tithes and offerings, wham, I discover volumes of Scriptures and stories about giving I never knew before. It is amazing how controlling “money” is in the lives of so many. A poem was written describing money telling her story;
“Dug from the mountainside, washed from the glen,
Servant am I, or the master of men.
Steal me I curse you, earn me I bless you,
Grasp me and hoard me, A friend shall possess you.
Live for me, die for me, Covet me, take me,
Angel or Devil, I am what you make me” (author unknown).
Someone wrote: “Money will buy a bed but not sleep, Books but not brains, Food but not appetite, Finery but not beauty, A house but not a home, Luxuries but not culture, Medicine but not health, Amusements but not happiness, A crucifix but not a Savior, and A church but not a heaven.”
I have found it very unique that of all ministry, Jesus only trained his disciples to evaluate giving. It was the widow’s mite, the smallest coin, compared to the rich man’s bag of gold that Jesus called his disciple’s attention to. The amount each person giving isn’t what I find unique. However, it is that Jesus sat over in the corner and observed the people’s giving. And what is more unique was that Jesus took time to teach his disciples about the giving process. Jesus did not do so with worship, prayer, preaching or any of the other ministry practices; Only giving. Our action with money displays our spiritual condition.
A person has departed from God if they have not given tithes and offerings (Mal. 3:7). God shows how one has departed from Him by robbing God. To rob someone is defined as: “stealing from to deprive one of something unjustly, to take that which is not rightfully one’s own, take something by underhand means, defraud, Cheat, trick, deceive, swindle.” No wonder Jesus watched people give.
Tithes and offering giving is an institution God created. All that a Christian is, has and all that may come to him is a gift from God. Tithe should be paid out of a devotional relationship with God. Tithing is an act of recognizing an authority higher than yourself. Tithing is an act of love and thanksgiving for material things received from God. Tithing is an act of confession of obligations to God who has been your helper in time of need. Tithing is an act of returning to God 10% of that which he has given to you. Tithing is an act of payment of your obligation as member of His Church for the support of His cause.
Tithing is the key to divine blessings. Jacob left Canaan empty and returned with much cattle and many servants after he started paying his tithe. If God gets His part, your part will go further than without God (Mal. 3:10, Lu. 6:38, 2 Cor. 9:6.
Tithing is an expression of gratitude. One who does not tithe does not consider any of the above things mentioned: They are not grateful, don't feel obligated to God, cares not for His cause, recognizes no higher authority than self and cares not for God's blessing. Those who fail to pay tithe not only robs God but hinders the spread of the glorious gospel. God's work requires money, tithing is God's way of financing His cause.
How much money would a public school system receive if it depended on the passing of a hat at a local PTA meeting to foot its bills? How would our Federal Gov. make out if it depended on its income to carry on our national activities by taking up a collection at Memorial and Independence Day parades?
God has a working method raising money to carry His work that method is "Tithing". God has ordained no other way for providing of the evangelizing of the world and maintaining of His Church other than by tithes and offerings. When tithing and offering is practiced, it is a blessing to the Lost, the Church, and the Individual. The Lost is reached, the Church is supported and the Giver is blessed. When tithe and offerings is not practiced, the Lost is not reached, the Church suffers and the Individual loses.
C.S. Lewis said in expressing the spirit of the early church, Acts. 4:32-35 "I am afraid the only safe rue is to give more that we can spare, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc, is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small."
Many want to receive much with giving little. A certain family had gone to church; on the way home the father criticized the sermon, the mother found fault with the organist, and the eldest daughter talked about the singing. But the subject was suddenly dropped when the small boy of the family spoke up and said, "Daddy, I think it was a mighty good program for just one dollar."
Giving is a service. In giving we are ministering to others, supplementing needs and fulfilling God's Great Commission. We are contributing to the spiritual health of the community. When we give to God, we are ministering to the unsaved we are participating is seeing unsaved people come to God.
“God, break to the needy sweet charity's bread,
for giving is living, the angel said,
And must I be giving again and again?
My peevish and pitiless answer ran,
oh, no said the angel, piercing me through,
Just give till the Lord stops giving to you.”

© 2011 by PT McClure