Sowing
God’s Word often gives instructions that are, to the practical mind, the exact opposite of common sense. Tithing and giving are like that, but when you choose to obey the Word in your giving, you position yourself to become an eyewitness to what God can do, both through you and for you. Proverbs 11:24 says, “There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.”
When you tithe, three things occur. First, you provide for the house of God—that particular church into which you sow the first ten percent of your paycheck. You minister personally to the Lord in your tithe, and He uses it to build up His church. Hebrews 6:10 provides solid assurance that what you do will not go unnoticed by Him. It reads, “For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.” Giving financially is one way you minister not only to the Lord but also to the saints—and God will not forget it.
Secondly, when you tithe, God Himself opens the windows of Heaven and pours out blessings until you don’t have room enough to contain it all. You can expect, based on this verse, blessings to start abounding when you tithe.
Third, God Himself rebukes the devourer—the devil—so that he won’t be able to destroy the fruit of your ground or the vine in your field. In other words, because you tithe, God personally defends your finances. Wow!
Don’t worry if your tithing hasn’t reaped any visible results yet. Think about babies. Feet are made for walking, and little baby humans know that instinctively. They do their level best to get those feet to do their thing, but to no avail—at least for a while. They fall forward, they fall backward, they fall like drunken sailors, they collapse in a heap—and they get right back up and do it again! All the while mommy and daddy are grinning ear to ear, hovering nearby, and ready to bail them out if they fall too hard.
You delight your Father when you step out in giving—even with all the spills you take—as much as little ones delight their parents when they are learning to walk. Trust Him with your tithe and your giving. He’s nearby, smiling and ready to catch you if you need it.
A baby isn’t given hiking boots; a one year old isn’t given a two-wheeler; a ten year old isn’t given a car; a teenager isn’t given the title deed to his own house. Think about this in relation to giving.
God will direct you as you learn to tithe to give a bit extra from time to time. He will probably lead you to send support to different ministries, and at some point He will likely direct you to send more consistent support to one or more of the ministries that stir your heart.
How will you know? As you pray, you will experience a knowing inside you that what you are considering is right. Start small, especially if your income is small, and let God expand your giving as you increase. You are sowing seed into good soil, and like 2 Corinthians 9:10 declares, the Lord who supplies the money for you to give beyond your tithe “will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.”
Let the Lord lead you by His Spirit and His gentle conviction when you give. He knows where you should sow the seed He gives you, and He will direct you. Second Corinthians 9:7 sheds light on something else worth noting: “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
The writer of this verse, Paul the apostle, wrote this to relieve the pressure that often attends giving; if you’ve purposed in your heart to give a certain amount, then do that, and do it with joy. You know the voice of God, and you can tell if He wants you to give more than you planned. If He leads you this way, obey His prompting. But if you experience manipulation, coercion, or a sense of guilt or shame when listening to an appeal for money, guess what? Those feelings aren’t from God! How do I know? Because Paul told you to give what you purposed in your heart—not a manipulated amount squeezed out of you by an intentionally emotional or shame-inducing appeal.
If you feel like the proverbial turnip being squeezed for blood after being manipulated to give, then you’re probably not very cheerful. Don’t let your giving become a guilt-induced task. Purpose to give cheerfully, and don’t let yourself be coerced into giving out of peer pressure or guilt. (That goes for meetings, phone solicitations, letters, emails, and face-to-face requests.) Trust God to lead you when faced with these uncomfortable tactics.
As you tithe, give, and consistently listen to the Lord about the seed you have to sow, remember that God is your Father and is delighted in you as His child. The hard knocks you may be experiencing are not hidden from Him, and He is near, ready to step in to assist you. He’s looking to see in you the persistent expectation of a baby new to walking; when you fall, you get back up and go at it again, even if it’s not pretty! The baby craves the freedom that will come from walking on his own two feet; you look forward to the harvest of righteousness that will spring up in your life due to your giving. Tithing, giving, and sowing your seed are part of what you are created to do. “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand” (Psalm 37:23-24).
When you sense the Holy Spirit directing you to sow seed beyond your tithe, know that He is leading you in this way to bless you and to expand your fruitfulness. Picture Him, smiling, hovering near, and ready to catch you as you obey His promptings. As you take baby steps in faith, your stride will grow increasingly more steady and broad, and you will not only be a blessing to others, but you, yourself, will be blessed.
Be encouraged!
Dorothy
Next: God’s supplemental insurance policy, part 1