People don't like to sit in church and listen to a 45 minute spiel about giving their money to God. They just don't. It gets uncomfortable and I'm guessing for many, hearing a preacher tell them to "give their 10% back to God" has them feeling so uneasy that they walk right out the church doors and don't go back.
I've been attending Elevation Church since the summer and currently Pastor Steven Furtick's in in a sermon series called Banner Years in which we're learning how to make every year great in our lives, thusly making it a banner year. A few weekends ago he had Pastor Robert s Morris (I think, my notes are not within reach at the moment) in from Gateway Church in TX and he gave a 2 week sermon about tithing. And I must say, it got to me.
Yeah, I'll admit it, sitting there listening to this man talk about giving money had me having those uncomfortable feelings, but it wasn't because I don't want to give God my money, but because earlier in my life I had been doing it for a long while, weekly, regularly. But once I moved out on my own and (cough-cough stopped going to church for a year) I started having to support myself financially, budgeting out 10% of my money to give back to church was a struggle for me. I mean I was barely having enough money leftover to put gas in my car to get to work and buy groceries to stock my cupboards with.
However, sitting in church hearing Pastor Robert and Pastor Steven talk about tithing really hit home to me. One of them made a comment about how when you stop tithing and giving God what is rightfully his, a curse gets put on your money. Now I've heard this for years growing up from old pastors and my parents. So it wasn't like it was old news. But sitting there, in that particular moment, it was like DING! the light bulb went off. Pastor made a remark about when you stop tithing, your money gets cursed and then the money you do have seems to run out faster and you struggle to make ends meet; things break down and you're always shelling out money for something or another.
Well, I sat there and did a mental check list. Since I've moved out on my own almost three years ago, I'd wrecked my car, twice, I'd gotten a speeding ticket, my computer started falling apart, I had high bills, I didn't have any extra income to save, a night out on the town consisted of me heading to Wendy's to order off the value menu on Friday nights, and I was struggling to make ends meet, like really struggling. Like I would do good to have $40 left in my checking at the end of the month before payday. So when he said that and I realized all the money I essentially lost over the last two years I tried to think about what could be a reason behind it. Well, it was simple. I stopped going to church which translated to I stopped tithing regularly.
Back in high school when I was working part time I got paid every Friday. So that meant every Sunday I was filling out my offering receipt and putting it in the church offering. I wasn't making much back then, maybe $200 a week, but man did that $200 go far. I always had money, my gas rationing was good. I didn't wreck my car (to where it was my fault; I'd been hit a few times); I never wanted for anything; my belongings lasted and didn't break. Life was good! Then all of a sudden, life wasn't so good.
Was it because I stopped tithing or was it just life circumstance. You can take your pick. But I know for me personally, sitting in church I knew I had to get back on it. It'll be hard for me to crank the top 10% off my gross salary and put it in the offering because bills are still so high, but I'm working to start with at least 2-3% and increase it to the full 10% (and hopefully go beyond that to 15 and 20%) as I get accustomed to not missing that money. Sounds bad, I know. Why give at all if I'm not going to give the full 10% you might ask? My position is this, God knows my heart and he can see that I'm trying to live right and follow his commandments. I'd rather give 3% regularly to him rather than give 0% and have the rest of my money be cursed.
I'm sick of wrecking cars, I'm sick of high bills, I'm sick of never being able to do things because my budget won't allow it. I want the curse off my money and I want a better life. So here we go. Jasmine is tithing again.
I started this past Sunday 12/2/12, and ya know what, it felt great!
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PATS SELF ON THE BACK!
Memory served me well. It was Robert Morris at church the other week. And this quote was very memorable from his sermon:
Concerning your money -- "90% with God's blessing will go a lot further than 100% without it."
