10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 3:10-11, KJV)
Not Just a Regulation …
There are some who say that tithing is a “work of the law” that was no longer necessary after Jesus’ sacrificial death. 
Indeed there are quite a view verses dedicated to tithes and other mandated offerings in the Pentateuch.
However, the first tithe mentioned in scripture was given before the law was given. While the law regulated the manner in which the tithe was given – and received –, the tithe pre-dated the law.
Furthermore, while that first tithe was given sacrificially by Abram (Abraham) to acknowledge God’s role in a military victory, the tithe’s purpose was to provide sustenance to the priesthood.
23“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. (Matthew 23:23, NIV)
Here in Jesus’ denunciation of the legalistic practices of the Pharisees, Jesus brings a moral imperative in connection to tithing (“You should have …”). He shows that while tithing is proper, it should not be at the expense of higher spiritual values.
In an earlier post, I referenced II Corinthians 9:7-8 which posits that giving should not be under compulsion but done in a cheerful manner. Tithing is NOT mandated under our New Testament dispensation. It is encouraged, however, and should be a joyful, natural result of our generous character instead of an unsatisfying completion of a legal checklist.
Investing In Your Church
9And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:9-10, KJV)
21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:21, KJV)
As believers, we should be hooked up with a local church. We should be participants and not just occasional attendees. The benefits of church membership can not be overestimated: fellowship, edification, service to others, etc.
It is the Pastor’s job to oversee our souls and to guide us along in our spiritual development. We should see to our church’s temporal needs while they attend to our spiritual needs (1 Corinthians 9:11). While we may debate the requirement of tithing, we can’t debate that pastors still need to be fed and provide for their families. Pastors are scripturally entitled to a steady income (1 Corinthians 9:14)
Our giving to our local church should be ongoing. The tithing of our income ensures that it is. When the Lord blesses our substance over time, the church is rewarded proportionately. It is a fair and reliable arrangement.
While tithing is not a New Testament command, it is a New Testament principle.
Keeping Your Priorities
33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33; NASB)
However, don’t stop at 10%! Malachi 3:8 mentions tithes and offerings. Giving should be inculcated into our lifestyle. Giving to the poor, good ministries, righteous causes, etc. over and above your tithe should flow naturally from you as you seek His kingdom. Malachi 3:10God promises to take care of you as you take care of His Kingdom. He even promises systematic increase along the way (Luke 6:38). If give God financial preeminence, your needs will be taken care of, you’ve got His word on it.
Are you up to the challenge?
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:9-10; NKJ)
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Are you positioning yourself for His blessings?
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.(1 Chronicles 29:11-12, NIV)
God is the owner of EVERYTHING
As trustees of the resources God has provided, He allows us to temporally use our possessions. Our wealth is only temporary. The Lord is the true owner. In Deuteronomy 10:14 this is made quite clear: “To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.” Not just some things of this earth, but all things. Now if He holds these things and God is the true owner, should we handle things the way we feel they should be handled or the way God would want us to handle them? Of course, we should handle them the way God wants us to handle them. These instructions can be found in His Word.
If we are to follow Christ, we must transfer the ownership of our possessions to God. This entails a mind shift. The world tells us possession is nine tenths of the law and that we alone possess everything. A shift from a cultural view to a Godly view is difficult in an ungodly world. The shift is easy only when your change your perspective. Taking steps to align your thinking with God’s thinking does not happen overnight. The Holy Spirit must have time to work within your heart. I often say there are three conversions:
1) Your mind
2) Your heart
3) Your wallet
It takes time. However once it happens, your financial decisions tend to be viewed much differently than the world’s ways and thus become spiritual in every context.
Here are a few suggestions to begin this change of perspective:
1) Read over the verses I highlighted above and read them two times a day for the next month.
2) Pray, meditate, and memorize these verses.
3) Think of these verses every time you spend or make an investment/saving decision.
4) Constantly refer to your possessions (money, investments, personal items) as the Lord’s items. Say it out loud often. By passing ownership verbally and constantly, you will begin to develop a habit of transferring ownership.
We are ONLY “managers” of what God has given us
God chooses to distribute wealth where he sees fit. God chooses to bless one person more than others. In Matthew 25:15 we see this illustration: “To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey”. Why would God discriminate? He gave according to each person based on their abilities. The Lord not only distributes wealth and material possessions but also can take them away as Job learned. No material possessions can be taken to the next world and even Job understood this when he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” Even in Job’s darkest hour, he still understood this key principle.
Our purpose in life is to glorify God
The Lord will choose many ways to distribute wealth: inheritance, marriage to a wealthy individual, successful businesses, stock options, and successful stock market investments to name a few. God has entrusted certain levels of wealth to each of us according to our abilities. Handling these assets in a biblical manner is an intended purpose that God has for your life. Above all, our purpose in life is to glorify God and this includes our finances. “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” Luke 16:10. What are you doing today to show responsibility with what He entrusts to you? How are you positioning yourself for the blessings He has prepared for you?
Whether you have made money mistakes in the past or present, each day is a clean slate. Learn from your past mistakes and move on. Commit to learning more about His principles and how He instructs us to handle money. Commit to educating yourself about financial matters (saving, investing, gifting strategies, insurance, tax planning, etc.). Seek a qualified financial professional who shares your faith and values. Refer to www.kingdomadvisors.org or www.nacfc.com to find a competent Christian advisor in your area. Most of all, commit to doing something! God wants you to take the first step so He can guide and direct your path.
This article was written by Jay Peroni, CFP. Jay is the founder and editor of FaithBasedInvestor.com, a Christian stock investing newsletter. He is an author, speaker, and financial advisor. He’s been featured on Crosswalk.com, TheStreet.com, at ChristianPF.com. Jay started FaithBasedInvestor.com to help investors find investments they can be ?”proud to own”. For a FREE report on how to screen your investments and build a winning portfolio, go to FaithBasedInvestor.com.
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]]>Proverbs 27:23 (King James Version)
23Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.
I am a Quicken slave. Every payday I spend at least an hour entering my paycheck info and planning how to pay our bills at least until the next paycheck. It’s ongoing and never ending. However, I see it as my duty as a steward of God’s resources that He has entrusted to me.
So what does this have to do about knowing about sheep, goats, and other farmyard critters?
Gold vs. The Sheepfold: The Baa-Baa-Balance Sheet
In Old Testament times, wealth was often measured in terms of the size of one’s flocks and herds (e.g. Gen 24:35). The animals often rank higher than gold or silver when a person’s worth is summarized. In the account of God’s material restoration to Job (see Job 42:10-12), the count of each type of animal is given but there is no such specificity in the amount of money or gold received.
Even though farm animals are not part of the typical family household budget sheet, adopting a sort of animal husbandry mindset can help us become better financial managers. The first task in reining in your finances is knowing the size of your herd.
Do you know your net worth? Can you quickly add up your assets and subtract your liabilities to arrive at a (reasonable) ballpark amount. Is this total based on verifiable facts as opposed to an “off the top of my head” guesstimate? (Maybe this calculator will help.)
Jesus referred to Himself as the “good shepherd.” He said that he knows his own sheep by name. In Bible times, individuals knew very well the size of their flocks as this was their livelihood. (Money and animals provide food and clothing.)
So, whether you use Quicken, Microsoft Money, or some other personal finance software, or even paper/pencil; you need to know the size of your herd so that you can take care of it properly.
The Care & Feeding of Your Finances
Be “diligent” and “look well” to your herds. Taking the shepherd and rancher analogy further, we know that these animals require regular feeding and hygiene. If you feed your goat a sumptuous, nutritious meal and then cancel future mealtimes, that goat will die. Neglect will kill these creatures through starvation or disease
Ok, so what does that have to do with me?
Like animals, our finances require regular provision and protection. Similarly, financial instruments require monitoring to prevent atrophy through lack of regular investments, tax penalties, portfolio reallocation, insurance, etc. Are you letting your financial managing slide? Are you persistent in those necessary – if irritating – financial chores such as paying bills on time, budgeting, filing taxes? Don’t allow the manure to pile up!
Luke 12:48b (New International Version)
… From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
Keeping your animals\finances healthy will enable them to gain healthy weight and have babies\enjoy investment returns. So if you are frustrated at the amount of time you’re spending using Quicken or balancing your checkbook, etc; be of good cheer. It’s not easy being a shepherd but your diligence will pay off.
With financial prosperity comes responsibility.
Proverbs 12:10-11 (New King James Version)
10 A righteous man regards the life of his animal,
But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
11 He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread,
But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding.
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