Tithing

I've been thinking a lot about this lately and just felt led to blog about our story with it. So here's to boasting in the Father.

We always tithed. I was a disciplined tither, as was Danny. We got married and it didn't change. We moved to Fl and it didn't change. We moved to LA and something happened.

In the fall of 2009 we were fresh here and unsure about where the money was coming in. We walked in fear instead of trusting God to provide. One Sunday we decided not to tithe. We decided to pay bills instead. After that, we didn't tithe. Only when we felt like we had extra money, or saw it in our checking, did we tithe. It was not often.

This fall I started reading Big God with a friend. We were talking about verses to memorize and she mentioned Malachi 3:10. We talked about tithing and how we hadn't been. I can't describe her exact response, but she loved me and challenged me. I worked on memorizing that verse and we talked. We decided it was time to trust God with our finances again. We had made it through the year and God had provided, but we had been withholding from Him what was His. When He blesses us, it's so that we can bless others and that was not something we had been doing.

The changing point came one Sunday at church. It was the first Sunday we were tithing again. There was not much in checking that week. We knew there was more coming but we didn't know when and the bills were more than what was coming in. We talked about giving some of our tithe, but not the whole 10%. At church we struggled, sat and cried, and finally gave in to what God was asking. We rewrote the check for the full amount. Literally, the next day we were blessed with a financial gift that was enough to cover two of our biggest bills, due within days. We were completely provided for, beyond our imaginations.

That was in October. Since then, I can look back and am amazed at the way God has kept His promise. Tithing is the one thing that we're allowed to test God with, and we've done just that. And He's done His part. There has been extra work, extra provision, just extra. The numbers don't line up on paper. It's not logical. The amount we've been able to tithe is beautiful and exciting. The things we've been able to do with the extra have been blessed.

I know tithing is hard when there's not much coming in. For us, it was about remembering that God's word is true. You are a child of the King who rules the Earth. He's good. Why would He not want you to be able to pay your bills? Trust Him, and watch Him take care of you like you never imagined.