10%+
I believe that there are way too many people living their
Christian lives much like America runs their cars these days… put enough gas in
to get through until payday. And why? I understand today’s economy and I,
myself, have put $15 in hoping it would last until the week’s end. But that is
physical stuff. Spiritually, our father owns the cattle on a thousand hills!
Why do we live on the bare minimum?
I believe in the 10%. It is more than your monetary
offering. Are you giving at least 10% of YOU? Look at your time. There are 168
hours in a week. 10% is 16 hours and 48 minutes. Are you giving God that much?
Add up your service time, your prayer time, and your study time. Maybe you are giving
that and more. Maybe you are trying to stretch that prayer time to cover. Some
of you are not even close!
Think about it… our relationship to God is a picture of a
marriage (Matthew 25). Jesus calls us, “the bride,” to a relationship with Him,
“the bridegroom.” How many marriages would survive on less than 10% of a
relationship? What if less than 10% of your time was spent with that person?
That is not a relationship… it is barely an acquaintance!
So why do we struggle? Look at the illustration I made
earlier of the fuel. We decide not to fill up hoping to make more money to fill
up later, yet what we don’t realize is the better half of this relationship
owns the fuel company! Spiritually, we hold out. We struggle with the little
things of the world, all of those things that wear us down and leave us feeling
beaten. We go to church, but not get totally committed because that time is
“OUR” time with work, or family, or the long list of other things we put in
front of church. So why do we struggle? When we realize that God created us,
gives us His time and His love, but we only pay attention when it is
convenient.
It is like the monetary tithe… All wealth is God’s, he just
allows us to borrow it, giving us a chance to bless Him by giving it back to
Him and all He asks for is 10%. That is the “tithe.” An “offering” is over and
above that 10%, and still we are called to “sacrifice,” which means give until
it hurts. Apply that to your time, realizing some are sacrificing, some give an
offering of praise… yet, there are some who come up short on what is required
in their tithe.
You might be thinking, “oh, another money sermon.” It’s not
about the money! Like I said, God owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm
50:10), he doesn’t need your money. It is about obedient life in Christ. Israel
robbed God of the tithes and offerings, as is mentioned in Malachi 3:8-10. When
you ask “why” in so many things, check your spiritual check registry. Are you
fully committed to Christ and are you giving of yourself to Him in service,
prayer, study, worship, and fellowship? Those who rob God of what is His, He
will curse. For those who bring their whole tithe into the storehouse, God will
open up the windows of heaven and pour out His blessings. The blessings may not
be financial. It may be understanding, or compassion, or something unique for
your situation. This is not a message of the “prosperity gospel.” Don’t
misunderstand… good people still experience tough times. That is called God’s
providence. Read the book of Ruth.
If you truly are committed to Him, you won’t ask “why” as
much, and you’ll understand Jesus’ words in the garden of Gethsemane, “Not my
will, but Your will be done” (Luke 22:42).
Pastor Jamie Lawrence
Associate Pastor
Pleasant View Baptist
Church
Adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies
Mid-Continent University 