Hey, ladies! What do you think of this current series on finances? I feel that finances are one of the most tangible ways to see God’s faithfulness. I know a lot of people are experiencing financial hardship right now, but let me share my story as an illustration.
Early in our marriage, money was tight. We had our daughter and our first home. My husband and I were both working. We were never big spenders. Our only debt was our home and one vehicle. Yet, the money was always tight. We thought it was because we didn’t “make enough.” We didn’t know how we would ever get ahead. We were members of a church, but didn’t tithe. Honestly, we didn’t feel we could afford to. We were actually annoyed when we heard about giving from the pulpit. How could the church ask us for money? Shouldn’t they be helping us out, since we needed the money more than they did?
Then we read Luke 16:10, “Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” Wow. That really convicted us. Then we read Luke 6:38, “If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving – large or small - it will be used to measure what is given back to you.” That verse really spoke to our hearts. It had never occurred to us that it was possible for us to receive back what we had given. The church didn’t want our money – God wanted our hearts so He could bless us in return!
My husband and I made a commitment, right then, to start tithing. Our finances hadn’t changed, but our hearts had changed. We didn’t feel we had the money to give, but we wanted to trust God with all areas of our life. How could we do that without showing Him we trusted Him? So, we started giving 10% of our net income (for starters). To our amazement, our cash flow actually increased even though we didn’t receive raises at work!
The following year, we began tithing 10% of our gross income (“first fruits”). We were not surprised when our bank account continued to increase even more rapidly than the year before. Proverbs 3:9 says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything your land produces. Then He will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with the finest wine.”
If I could leave you with one verse that impacted us greatly, it’s 2 Corinthians 9:8, “God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others… Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously.”
If you’re not already doing so, I challenge you to show God you trust Him with your finances. His faithfulness will amaze you!