Matt 6:31-33
Therefore, don’t worry and say, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’ Gentiles long for all these things. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Instead, desire first and foremost God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Last Sunday, we heard a message from Gabe about tithing and how it connects to our identity as Kingdom citizens. As I was reflecting more about the topic of tithing, I began to think about my own history with money and the lessons I’ve learned over the years about finances and the Kingdom of God.
Every person will have their own story and their own history with money. Some of this will come from our upbringing. How did our parents or guardians handle money? Was it a topic that came up often in our household? What was taught to us about money and how it should be handled? Some of how we understand the role of money will also come from our experiences. Perhaps we’ve gone through periods where money was tight, and we never felt like there was enough. Maybe money for us has been fleeting, something that seems to disappear as soon as we have it. Another factor in how we understand money will be connected to what we’ve learned as Christians. Maybe God has taught us lessons in the past relating to money. Maybe God provided miraculously at one point in our lives, and taught us a lesson about his provision.
What’s the status of your relationship with money? How did you grow up understanding money, and how do you understand the role of money in your own life today? Money is so often a topic that is close to our hearts. It’s such a natural part of life and can become so deeply tied into our sense of wellbeing, security, and happiness. It can very easily become an idol because of what it represents and what it enables us to do.
In Matthew 6, Jesus gives some teaching about provision and the necessities of life. God’s plan for us regarding finances is that we would never have to worry about what we are going to eat, drink, or wear. Instead, Jesus encourages us to shift our focus and our passion to the Kingdom of God and to righteousness, and away from becoming too concerned about matters of money.
There are many reasons why we tithe and why tithing is such an important practice. But one reason for the tithe is to remind us that provision, security, and wellbeing don’t come from how much money we have. Instead, we’re called to be people who trust God for those things. Tithing reminds us that it is God who comes first, not money. One simple but very important lesson I’ve learned about money is something that Jerry has said before: money is a good servant but bad master. Tithing reminds us that our master is Jesus, not money, and the tithe helps us to keep that in perspective.
What is the status of your tithing? Like every area of our journey with God, we’re to keep growing and pushing forward in our walk, not stand still. We are to not only give, but to grow in the grace of giving. Perhaps you tithe nothing today. Make a commitment then to grow by starting to tithe 1%. Maybe we tithe 5%, try to make that 6% next year. As we grow in this practice of tithing, I truly believe we’ll see God’s faithfulness in our lives to provide everything that we need, and even more, as we keep money in proper perspective.