Christianity’s Best Kept Secret
“God loves it when the giver delights in the
giving.” 2 Corinthians 9:7b
Political correctness
has rendered us a paranoid and paralyzed people. As they say, “Anything you say can and will
be held against you in a court of law.”
From the Taco Bell’s “talking Chihuahua” to the Atlanta baseball team’s
logo, all areas seem to be on tumultuous waters these days. Whether you tend to believe that people are
too sensitive or too offensive, essentially, a surgeon’s skill is required to
address certain subjects.
Christians aren’t
exempt from such dealings. Take
tithing, for instance. Say it
quietly. Now say it loudly. Shhhh…not
that loud. Someone might hear you. It’s a secret that some don’t know about or
understand. The kind of word that warms your heart or gives you heartburn.
The
word “tithe” means tenth or a 10 percent portion of what God has given. It is recommended in both the Old Testament
and New Testament. Deuteronomy 14:22, 23
says, “Be sure to set aside a tenth of
all that your fields produce each year…in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so
that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.” In essence, it’s a covenant part of our
faith. We revere God by recognizing all
He has done for us by giving of our resources to Him In Matthew 23:23, we find
Jesus commending it and participating in it Himself.
Pastors have found
it’s becoming politically and spiritually incorrect to mention it to people. Here’s the dilemma. On the one hand, if you mention it, then
people immediately conclude that churches are after your money. On the other hand, if you don’t mention it,
believers miss out on one of the greatest benefits in serving Christ. The ability to bless and be blessed.
Over the years, at
certain points, I have found many people inadvertently relegating tithing as an
option clause, which, I believed, had little ???significance to God’s blessing
spiritually, relationally, emotionally, and financially. I’ve found Here were a few of my theories:
1) Consumer Giving
Theory: Much like the movies,
restaurants, stores and concerts, my giving was based on the return product (or
“Good service means good tip”).
2) Surplus Theory: As long as all the other bills were taken
care of and things weren’t too tight. I
could afford to give to God.
3) Guilt Theory: The motivation was strong as long as I was
reminded, but would eventually wane
Soon, though, I would need another dose of guilt to get me going.
4) Flush Theory: You guessed it. It was the idea that giving to God was about
as beneficial as stepping into the restroom and dropping it into the “porcelain
retainer.”
5) Token Theory: (A.K.A.- “More-For-Me Theory) This was done
just enough to keep the Lord at bay.
You may have developed more false theories not listed
here. Like a defense attorney scanning
for loopholes, we can often search for reasons it just won’t work.
In 2 Corinthians 9,
Paul reminds us why it does. He
says:
1)
Our
blessing will be proportionate to our giving (v. 6)
2)
Our
motivation will be based in our gratitude (v. 7)
3)
Our
provision will advance His kingdom (v. 8)
4)
Our
faith to give will come when I acknowledge God as my resource (v. 10)
It’s the Kingdom at
work and it’s the best kept secret.
As we might have heard, “I’ve never met a grouchy giver.” Maybe that’s why God loves “hilarious ones”
because a joy fills their hearts. I
simply don’t want anyone to miss out on one of the greatest joys around. It may not be politically or spiritually
correct to talk about it, but hey, some secrets are too good to keep.
Terry Risser
Reflections:
1) On a scale from 1-10, how
would you rank your tithing ratio?
2) When did you first trust God
in tithing or what is keeping you from trusting Him in it?
Consider reading the Word today:
Copyright 2014- Terry Risser
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