Letting go

2013 was the year I read “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren.  I had just turned 29 years old and was desperate to know what my purpose in life was. Rick Warren, the author of the book, says finding your purpose must begin with God. He was so right.  

I talked briefly on how this book changed my life in the post titled “My Purpose Driven Life”.  As I mentioned in that blog post, reading the book isn’t what changed my life, it’s what I did and how I applied the teachings of the book to my life that ultimately altered my life. The book discussed the importance of attending church, becoming a member of that church, getting baptized, surrounding myself with fellow believers, serving, sharing the “good news” of Jesus Christ, realizing what my talents are and using those talents to pursue the purpose God set forth for me.  The book also talked about the importance of tithing. 

Finished Book – February 2013

Using Talents for the greater good – February 22, 2013 (GWE blog went live)

Found my new church home – March 2013

Started Serving – May 2013

Baptism – June 2013

Member – Early 2014

Tithing – April 2014

Surrounding myself with fellow believers – Blossomed the entire year of 2014

As you can see, I didn’t do everything immediately or in the same order as the book listed.  Some things took some time, but in the back of my head, I always knew what I needed to do. All I needed was either a push or a tug to lead me.  I can honestly say the only item on the list that was truly difficult was tithing. 

For those who do not know what tithing is, it is simply means voluntarily contributing a tenth of one’s income to support the church. For anyone who has been to church – pretty much any church, knows there is a point in the service where offering takes place.  People reach into their wallets, purses and pull out a check or cash and place it in the bucket as it goes by. 

So you must be asking yourself, why do we have to give?  Well Jesus instructed us to and if he says so, then that’s all the reason we should need.  Rick Warren has said, “Show me how you spend your time and how you spend your money, I’ll show you what’s important in your life.”  People can say God is important in our lives, but no matter what we say, if we were to produce our schedule and our checkbook stubs, the true answer would reveal itself. 

In Matthew 6:21 NLT, Jesus says, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”  If you put all your money towards material items (clothing, shoes, cars, electronics), then that is what becomes important to you.  If you put God first, giving 10 percent back to the church no longer becomes a struggle, it becomes a privilege. 

When my husband and I first decided to start tithing, it was not easy at all.  When we calculated the number of our combined income and what 10 percent of that was, well, the anxiety began to creep in.  How are we going to afford this? 

Deuteronomy 14:23 explains that, “The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God first in your lives.”  Our world today screams, “Me, Me, Me! Mine, Mine, Mine!” No wonder everyone is so attached to their belongings.  But did you know, the day you perish, none of those belongings will go with you?  “After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave.” – 1 Timothy 6:7

I let materialism take over me for many years.  I wanted the best of the best and if I had the new purse, the expensive outfit and every new gadget, well that would show I had it all, right?  Wrong.  Yes, those items brought me enjoyment but it was only temporary.  Once the shine wore off, I was seeking more and more which led to lots of unnecessary spending.

As I began tithing, I learned to build up my faith and my trust in God.  I learned not to hold onto things, instead return the first part to God.  It broke the grip of materialism in my life. 

This brought forth a lot of changes for our family. We definitely cut back in different areas, but as the days and weeks passed, the struggle decreased and the enjoyment of giving increased.  The payoff has been enormous.  “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. “Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be enough to store it.” – Malachi 3:10

The tangible and intangible blessings that have been brought forth the last 8 months have been incomparable.  I cannot even begin to explain to you how much I’ve grown this year.  I can’t say my life is perfect because it never will be, but the peace that I have in my life is inconceivable.

Bottom line, your finances reflect what your priorities are.  What do your finances reveal about the priority of God in your life? 

God gave us a choice to give voluntarily out of our hearts.  If you choose not to do so, you are robbing yourself out of so much.  Don’t be so naïve.  Choose to bless your finances, not curse them.

One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. Proverbs 11:24