Asking for money can be easy for some and very hard for others. I have friends that can be handed a fundraiser and will run with it without batting an eye. I have other friends who feel ill at the thought of trying to sell a single candy bar for their kid's school :) I think I fall somewhere in the middle. I am not ashamed to raise funds for a good cause, but I don't want to put my hand out for something I don't need.
As I think about this (and have for the past two weeks), I also realize that money is a source of pride that I seem to be taking some time in dealing with. I have been confronted with over the past weeks with the real need all over the world in my research of orphans and the real wealth of the nation that I call home. I don't consider myself wealthy, we live in a small home, a family of four, on a a single income. I was just reading this article, and even though we are at the very bottom of the middle class scale, I am ashamed. It's sad how much we as a country have and yet we are in a tough economy.
The other thing about money I have been confronted with over and over this week (okay Lord... I'm listening) is tithing, as in 10%. Even though I grew up in the church, this is a new idea to me. I grew up in a very legalistic church and I remembering being told that the old testament is an example, that the new testament replaced the old. So when I think of the tithe, I see and example, but I just always thought you give what you can. For years, we gave sometimes, sometimes not. For a couple weeks now, God has been really speaking to me and telling me to test Him on this. Then, we had this great sermon on money just this last week. The thing that stuck out to me was that you may have to feel it to give God what He is due.
Now I know our need to not as great as some, Kelly has a good job and we have made the choice to adopt (well, is it a choice if God lays it on your heart?). But what I have realized that as we try to get enough for our adoption, God still wants me to give back to Him. That means we will have to double what we have been giving. Yep, we have been doing great at giving consistently and though I feel like patting myself on the back for that, we are at the 5% mark, and I don't even want to write that here. Pride and humility all in one sentence!
Now, you're probably wondering where all my ramblings on are coming from. This post started out when I read this blog that I follow because the title was Crazy Love. Now, I though she was talking about this book that I have heard great things about (also ever the past 2 weeks!)...nope, she is talking about giving more and more away. She is asking, what is your need? Does your family tithe? That put the tithe front and center in my mind again! So here I am rambling on.
A conclusion for me, we have been halfway there on tithing and will be starting to test God in this
Malachi 3:10 says
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
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1 comment:
Oh boy- I could talk about this subject ALL DAY LONG. My family and I are living proof of how God WILL BE FAITHFUL to His people for tithing. I've seen it time and TIME again in our own lives. When we were broke and our marriage was falling apart, we were not tithing. If we did, it was a little here and a little there...but never consistently. Once we started FPU and began to work on our finances, we began to give 10% EVERY SINGLE MONTH. First- off the top- without question. Whatever we had left, is what we lived off of. Time and time again, God has poured out blessing onto our family and finances. Just as God says in that verse, "Test me!" Do it- give 10% at the first of the month- before you pay ANY bills! Do it and you will be amazed at what God can do! Praying for you and proud of you for blogging about this very personal subject!
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