The Importance of Money
The Importance of Money
“If we didn’t tithe, give money
to the church, and support our missionary friends, we could buy a Hummer.” That’s what I told my kids several years ago
when Hummers were in vogue and we were struggling to make payments on our
minivan. I wanted to make an impression
on them that we were sacrificing in order to support God’s work, but that it
was a joyful sacrifice as we watched what God would do with our money. I remember getting my first job out of
college in Roanoke at Moore’s Building Supply and I was so proud to be able to
pay my own bills and really begin to tithe.
I had grown up in a church that had emphasized the that tithing was a
duty but also an expression of thankfulness to God. I felt like it was part of
being a mature Christian to be able to say that I was participating fully as a
follower of Jesus Christ.
Notice I didn’t say that it was
part of being a mature adult. When we
would give our children their allowance, we divided it into three categories:
tithing, saving and spending. The order
still needs to be the same, otherwise, the money seems to just evaporate. So, if you are parenting younger children,
instill in them the privilege of participating in the kingdom of God with the
few cents that they have.
Too often stewardship messages
focus on what we get out of giving, but that is often the primary problem of 21st
century Christian faith: the focus on
self. Giving to God’s causes is a
relinquishment of the stuff that has such a grip on us and watching God use it
in ways that we would have never imagined.
I also believe that like the loaves and the fishes, He can multiply in
ways that the stock market is not capable.
Tracy and I have decided to give
10% of my salary back to our church. It sort
of feels silly, why don’t we just reduce my salary by 10% and call it
good? But then we wouldn’t have the opportunity
to participate with the rest of the church in giving sacrificially to God’s
causes. We also support other ministries
outside of church and that money we call ‘offerings’. So, when we collect “Tithes and Offerings” on
Sunday morning, I believe that the tithe is the base line and offerings are
anything above and beyond.
Finally, the bottom line really
needs to be that we give with sincere motives.
To give begrudgingly or reluctantly steals our joy. Yes, give out of obedience, but give with an
expectation that God is going to do something amazing.
In Christ’s Service,
Allen
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