90 + 10 = 100
Monday, October 30, 2023
“Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out.” – Frank A. Clark
I remember having a conversation with a professing Christian many years ago. This individual was strapped financially, partly due to some bad decisions on their part and partly due to circumstances beyond their control.
“I can’t afford to tithe,” the person told me frankly.
“You can’t afford not to tithe,” I responded even more directly.
One of the best decisions Deanna and I have ever made was to start tithing from the moment we married. We began with a straight 10% off the top of our gross earnings and have tried to increase that percentage every year since. After all, we figured, everything we have is from God and yet, He allows us to keep 90% of what He has given us. What a great deal!
We also believe that if a 10% tithe was required under the Old Testament law, how much more should we willingly give to God and His kingdom-building work now that we are under grace.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon puts it much better than I ever could…
“Grudging souls limit their contributions to the ministry and missionary operations and call such saving good economy; little do they dream that in doing so they are impoverishing themselves. Their excuse is that they must care for their own families, and they forget that to neglect the house of God is a sure way to bring ruin upon their own houses. Our God has a method in providence by which he can cause our endeavors to succeed beyond our expectation, or He can defeat our plans to our confusion and dismay; by a turn of His hand, he can steer our vessel in a profitable channel or run it aground in poverty and bankruptcy. It is the teaching of Scripture that the Lord enriches the generous and leaves the miserly to discover that withholding leads to poverty.”
“Selfishness looks first at home, but godliness seeks first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; yet in the long run selfishness is loss, and godliness is great gain. It requires faith to act toward God with an open hand; but surely He deserves it from us; and all that we can do is a very poor acknowledgement of our amazing indebtedness to His goodness.”
“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you ask, ‘How do we rob You?’ In tithes and offerings.” Malachi 3:8 (BSB)
“Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 (BSB)
