How to Begin to Tithe

In response to the Bishop’s December 2 sermon on “Giving out of Gratitude”, last week I wrote about the Biblical principles of why we offer our financial first fruits to the Lord.  This week I am going to give a few practical tips about how to begin to tithe. Next week we will look at the benefits of honoring the Lord with our wealth. So how do we begin to obey God and honor Him with our financial tithes and offerings?

1. First, read Scripture to be assured tithing won’t ruin your life. May I suggest Malachi 6: 6 – 13;  Matthew 6: 24 – 34; Philippians 4: 10 – 20 as a start.
2. Pray and ask God to make it possible for you to honor Him with what He has given you. Be real and specific. Tell Him your fears and anxieties. Ask Him to give you the desire to give as well as His joy and assurance in doing so.
3. Take inventory of your financial values and priorities. Kristin and I have four: God , Kids, Eating Well (We love fine restaurants!) and traveling. This means magazines, cable tv, clothes, cars, furniture, and many other great things are lower on the list and may have to be sacrificed in the short term. 
4. Take inventory of your current spending habits. One couple I worked with trying to help them out of debt were startled to learn they spent $1,700 at Starbucks every year. Where are your current resources going? Keep receipts and develop a system of financial accountability. As our government is learning, this takes time, effort, openness to change, and help.
5. Prioritize and plan ahead. In other words, develop a clear budget and stick to it. If you need help to come up with a budget, there are those in the church who would gladly help. Call me and I will put you into contact. 
6. Develop a plan to START giving a certain percentage of your income to the Lord now and go from there. Starting is half the challenge. Work your way up to the minimum 10% tithe. You will be amazed how freeing giving becomes once you start.
7. Accept the gift of delayed gratification. Delayed gratification helps us see our resources as gifts and brings freedom to not have to indulge every desire in our over saturated, instant gratification culture. As kids learn at Christmas, the waiting in anticipation of future gratification brings the real joy! And we know in the end we get it all back 100 fold! See Matthew 19: 27 - 30
8. Talk to others who practice tithing. Listen to their amazing stories of how God has provided. Ask Questions. Learn how they started to give and limit them to telling you only 2 or 3 amazing ways of how God has been faithful.
9. Remember that God pays for what He orders. Afraid you won’t be able to afford a need or even a want? Honor God with your wealth, ask Him to provide, and wait with expectations to experience more of God’s hand and provision in your life. And don’t forget you can never out-give God; He pays for what He orders!

Learning to Obey and Honor God with Our Wealth with You,
~ David