Giving Benchmark

I can remember not too many years ago that I was in a terrible financial position and I really struggled with giving. I’m not currently made of money and I wouldn’t consider myself wealthy, but I’ve learned to love giving. I really believe that it’s something the Lord is constantly teaching me. He is Giver of all Givers. He gives me life. He gives me hope. He gives me love. He gives me grace. He gives me mercy. I could go on and on. The Lord gives good gifts and He never runs out of gifts to give.

When giving the laws and decrees to the Israelites from Mt. Sinai, the Lord gives Moses the principle of redemption as well as the principle of tithing. Check this out…

30 ‘“A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. (Leviticus 27:30 NIV)

My tithes and gifts to the Lord become Holy because He is Holy. I believe that as a giver I receive blessings that I could not possibly calculate. I could certainly not out give God. I believe good giving comes from great gratitude in my heart. The Lord continues to build upon my heart of gratitude. He loves for me to recognize what all He’s doing in my life. He loves for me to give Him credit for all that He’s doing in me. He is the Giver of all good gifts.

My gratitude starts with obedience. I need to consistently pursue His plan for me. I need to make choices that line up with His boundaries and directions for my life. I also need to realize that really all I have is His. I’m simply managing the resources that He’s given to me. I believe when I’m obedient by giving a tithe (10%) to the Lord, He does more with the 90% remaining than I could do with 100%. His economy is so different than the economy of our culture. He is a good, good Father Who loves me and wants what is best for me. I’ve got to learn to trust Him and follow His instructions when it comes to giving. He really knows best.

I remember watching my Dad write out his tithe check as a young boy. The top 10% was always given to the Lord and then the fun begins! I’ve met people over the years who has increased their giving to 20% – the 10% is the benchmark. Giving is good for my soul and it’s good for my gratitude. I’m more grateful because I give and I’m never more like the Father than when I give.

Pressing On!

Dwayne