MORE – Generosity And Faith In Your FinancesSample

Why tithe?

I have grown up having a strong inclination to tithe, even in my late teens, as I had seen plenty of blessing in my parents’ life linked to their faithful giving. My dad had been made redundant during the Global Financial Crisis and had not been able to find work for 6 months. I remember during this time that my brother and I often ate dinner while my parents said "they weren't hungry" and would watch us eat, or at other times they ate only the veggies and we ate the meat with veggies. It was during this time that I remember driving to church with my parents. My dad turned to my mum and said that the $20 note in his pocket was the last money they had. Period. And they were talking about whether they were going to put in the tithing bag. Finally, dad said “I have faith that God provides and we, as a family, need to have faith in that.” So he put it in. 

When we came back from church and pulled into the driveway of our house, there was a basket full of food and groceries left at the front door. I have never forgotten that moment.

10 years on, I found myself in a similar position. I had just started a business and had used all my savings getting it off the ground. It was then that my eldest son was diagnosed with cancer. I had to move the family to another city while he got treatment and stopped being able to see clients. I had staff wages to pay, and the bills kept rolling in. We were renting, plus had a mortgage back home. My wife and I were still tithing and found ourselves questioning whether we should stop. But we eventually decided to keep tithing and trusting that God had a plan and would see us through. The next week we received a cheque from an old school friend that I hadn’t spoken to for ages for $1000. This covered all the rent we needed until we could move back home! It was incredible! It also came with this verse found in Exodus 14:14: “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

I have held onto that verse, and my business has not gone bankrupt when it really should have. It has continued to grow and now has over 25 staff. There are still times when we get tight. But every week, God provides and all bills are paid, wages are paid, and the local community gets the advice and support they need. I still need to remind myself to be still, not fear, not be anxious of potential outcomes. God is bigger than I give him credit for, and he has not let me down!

For reflection:

1. What battles are you having that you could take to God rather than fight alone?
2. Do you feel nervous or confident when it comes to putting God first in your finances? 
3. What is one step you could take in increasing your faith in God for finances?