Tithe paying Christians and money.
Have you ever had so much money that you started wondering why the hell you need to pay tithe?
When you had little, you would readily pay your tithe, but when your income starts increasing, you start having a double mind. Thoughts like:
• What if the pastor is wasting the money I pay as tithe?
• Are we really mandated to pay tithe?
I have been there, and boy, it’s annoying. You have this voice in your head reminding you that you haven’t paid your tithe, but you pretend to forget. 3 days into the new month, and you are yet to pay tithe, then the guilt sets in.
I used to know this priest who hated the thought of Tithe. In his defence, he said, there was no point paying tithe when you have a starving neighbour. Use your money for tithe and get them something to eat; they are the gods.
And I believed him. I mean, he spent over a decade studying theology. Who am I to argue with him? Plus, I still hate how pastors and priests talk about money. Like, bro, preach the good news, everything doesn’t revolve around money. You are giving off unchristlike vibes.
After college, I decided to take my destiny into my own hands and get to know God. So, I started reading the Bible. I didn't understand it 90% of the time, and I still didn’t. Even when I try to focus, I get nothing. So I spend my time focusing on parts of the Bible I have seen pastors and priests quote. Then, I learnt that you need to read the whole chapter to understand a Bible verse.
Then I got to the part where the Lord said we should pay our tithe and see if he will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing… Read Malachi 3 vs. 10.
That was all I needed to start paying my tithe. But now, I struggle when I get big amounts of money. Why? Because I think about all the stuff I could do with that money, I am giving it…to God.
I know I am not the only one who feels like this. So, one day, I knelt down and prayed. I rebuked the spirit behind such thoughts and reaffirmed that money was made for me, not vice versa.
Plus, you can never outgive God. Let’s say God takes away everything he has given me because I didn’t pay my tithe; I won’t even be alive to type this. Heck, the money would be useless then. But God won’t do that; he is a loving God.
I have learned that there are conditions involved when it comes to God’s promises. For instance, when you say, “I shall not die but live to declare the goodness of God in my life,” the situation there is that you will declare God’s goodness. You see why we must understand the scriptures and not say them mindlessly.
I have questions for God, which I will address in another blog post.
But for now, if you decide to start paying tithe, believe me when I say I have seen God’s promise in Malachi 3 vs. 10 come to pass. And I know it will for you.
So when those thoughts that raise their heads against the knowledge of God start questioning why you pay tithe, rebuke them and remind them that everything you own and will ever own belongs to God. We are only stewards and managers of the Kingdom.
When we die, we will leave everything behind, and someone else will take over. Hopefully, not someone stupid, but you get the point.
Look at me, you will make money, ego na esisi (money that has smell). You will chop cash, and you will use it to expand the Kingdom of God. Fear not because more money is coming.
What if it doesn’t come? Well, sope otilor.
