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Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. (Malachi 3:10, ESV)
I’ve heard Christian leaders say, “Church, we aren’t going to ask you for money. We don’t want people to think that this church is about money.”
In my soul, I react to this mindset.
God doesn’t have qualms about asking us to give tithes and offerings in Malachi 3, so why should preachers be intimidated in asking a congregation to be faithful with tithes and offerings?
The Apostle Paul doesn’t shy away from asking for money either. When the Corinthians were tardy in collecting an offering that they had pledged, Paul tells them…
We have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving. (2 Corinthians 8:6, NLT)
Asking for and encouraging faithful tithes and offerings isn’t really about money. It’s about growing in faith and in a relationship with Jesus. In the New Testament, good stewardship is the signature act of discipline for growing in faith.
That’s why, if you combine the teachings of Jesus, His number one topic was the Kingdom of God, and His second topic was good stewardship. Jesus had no problem saying things like…
Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” (Luke 6:38, NLT)
We grow in faith when we give, but we also get to witness the faithfulness of God.
As God says in Malachi 3, “Test me!” And Jesus says in Luke 6, “Your gift will return in full, and, by the way, make room for even more to be given to you.” (OGV paraphrase)
Understanding this faithfulness of God is key to our becoming mature in Christ. Since we grow from faith to faith (Romans 1:17), this faith-to-faith growth often includes God challenging us to give more than we think possible.
I learned early in my ministry that I could test God with my giving and learned that we can never outgive God.
For the first two years in my ministry, I worked with no salary. In year three, the Board of Directors of the organization decided to give me a salary of $25 per week. But then the Lord told me that after I received my $100 per month paycheck, I should give it back to the ministry.
Hesitant, yes, but I did it.
After giving back my first paycheck, someone who didn’t know about my “God testing me scenario” walked up after a meeting and handed me a check for $120.00. Every month I gave my $100, and for the next eleven months every month this same person gave me a check for $120.
I made more that year by giving and then receiving back God’s blessing!
Let’s test God with our finances.