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I wrote this some time ago, and my circumstances are no longer quite so dire, but I still have the same feelings I did then. I apologize if I am offending someone, but I feel I must speak this thing that is still on my mind.
Marc
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Tithing And Giving Sacrificially
When You're Too Broke To Do So.

by Marc

Dear *****:

my late Mother, God rest her soul, once said: “The church has priced
itself out of my market.” I hope God won't hold that against her, but I find myself agreeing with that statement. Problem: how to tithe, let alone give sacrificially when you ain't got it to give!

“Sorry, *** Gas & Electric, can't pay the bill this month--had to send a tithe to my church so they could help save the heathen all over the world.” “Too bad--we're shutting off your gas and power tomorrow, then.”

See what I mean?

Now, here's my question? God owns it all anyway. Why should we, who aren't just out of money, but totally BROKE before the end of the month, get hung up on the rack of guilt because we JUST DON'T HAVE IT!? God can run off a few more tons of gold, or whatever. Just like the Bureau of Engraving does when the Fed needs more greenbacks to flood the economy with to keep a Depression at bay or something. “The cattle of a thousand hills.” and all that, right?

Now, here's another bone of mine to pick: the individual churches are often big on missions, right? As it should be. But why can't they outreach directly to us poor schmucks who are hard up and having to work far away from home?

My own example: I live in **** ***, where, thank God, I own outright my own home(I blew almost all the wad my folks left me on my house, almost all of what was left of that on my car, so they're paid for. A Ford Escort and a single-wide mobilmobile/modular/manufactured home aren't a mansion and Rolls Royce by any means of the imagination, nor am I fabulously wealthy). I had to return to *** to work and earn money.

Seven bucks an hour don't go far at all these days. In fact it hardly don't go at all. So, I am sleeping in my car and sneaking into gas station bathrooms to shave and change clothes when one of the people I work with can't let me use their bathroom to do so. The missions I keep getting referred to? Well, areas like ******* Street aren’t places you'd care to go unless you didn't mind running a high risk of getting your throat cut or your car vanishing mysteriously, never to be seen again except for the inside of a chop-shop.

It would be nice if the individual churches could establish a means of assisting poor dumb schmucks like me directly. I ain't asking for money; just for a place to shower, shave, and hey, even be able to stretch out and sleep without being referred to one of the missions that are in the war zones where you don't go unless you're properly tooled up.

Get a job in **** ***? Hey, let me cue you in on how things go here: when it's the Mormon bishop giving the invocation prayer at the opening of each city council meeting, you kinda get an idea of the power behind the secular throne; in other words, if you ain't got a skill that's in such great demand they overlook your religious beliefs, and if you ain't a Mormon, then the odds of finding work just aren't all that good.

Now, I got some other problems: my ******* state private rentacop card and gun permit are up for renewal soon. The former costs me $45 to renew for four years, the latter $50 for the ticket, and another $95 for the refresher course. Gotta come up with those so I can keep on working.

Oh yeah, and then there's my monthlies for up here in **** ***. I HAVE to keep those paid or the juice and gas get shut off and my water pipes freeze and bust(until that gets shut off too)and my VISA card payments(I lived on that until I found a job; getting that paid down is Priority #1 after the monthlies). So quite frankly, *****, I ain't got enough to tithe with, let alone give sacrificially.

If that means God's gonna hold that against me come the Judgment, so be it. If that means I won't get any crowns or rewards, or whatever, so be it. If I end up scrubbing toilets and sweeping and mopping floors in Heaven for Eternity doing all of the scut work, living with the rest of the grunts in the barracks instead of one of the mansions like the big shots & top brass, with tons of crowns, ect, so be it.  Besides, brass and big shots and I never did get along down here anyway, so up there will probably be likewise.

sincerely,
Marc

Wow. Those are some hard circumstances, and I'm so very sorry to hear you've been having a difficult time. If it helps, I've known both sides of the fence. And I can say that God wants your trust.

I know, I know--how can I say that? I can. Because if you give God His money, He will see to it you have a place to stay and food to eat, and gas for your car. If you trust Him.

True-God doesn't need our money. He wants us to give because of what it does for us. How it makes us. What it does to our heart. The way it changes the way we see life and love and each other. Jesus said, don't run after temporal things like clothes and money and food. If you worry about serving Him, believe me-He'll see you get what you need. I have a friend who didn't even have a place to live! A month later he was operations manager of a television station. An enviable job, and it just fell into his lap.

Do you have a friend you can stay with? Maybe you can split the rent. What little you have, give ten percent to the Lord, and He will be pleased with your obedience. Be faithful with little, and He will give you more. Be faithful with that, and He may even give you more. I know it's hard to trust right now, but maybe He's testing you. If He is, you can bet there's a nice reward in store for you-if you pass the test. A sidenote: be reluctant to make deals with God in order to ease your circumstances. Instead, give obedience no matter what. And God will see that your needs are met. But this might be His way of getting your attention.

I'll lift you up in prayer. I'm sorry for your pain.

Was that the parable of the sower, we become sort of focussed on the problems(or the successes)...--that is, the "distractions"...??

A good question. And true, we do get distracted. I know I do sometimes. In this particular case I was thinking of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6:19-34. I wish I had time to type it all now, but here are a couple of verses:

So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well. Matthew 6:31-33

Also: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where theives break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

I have more verses, too, about how to store up treasure in heaven. I'll try to dig them up tomorrow.

Luke 16:1-15 is a good passage for this. This one talks about using worldly wealth to make eternal friendships. I imagine that would mean providing for the preaching of the gospel and meeting the temporal needs as well. I'll put a couple of the verses here:

I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will give you property of your own? No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Luke 16:9-13

Here's one I love, too:
Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. Ecclesiastes 11:1-2

 

When a person gives themselves to Christ, they are no longer under the law but under grace.  (Rm 6:15)

Although the law is good, it can save no one and actually can generate sin.  See Romans Chapter 7. 

We are instructed as Christians not to return to the law.  See Galatians Chp 3

A Christian who tithes is bringing themselves under the law with respect to their giving.  This can generate sin (i.e. thinking of oneself as better than one who does not tithe;  not being happy about giving the money during hard times, etc.)

The Old Testament law of the tithe was given to Israel.  It had many rules and directions that are not followed today.  There was a law of the tithe.  Included with this was just to bring forth the first fruits, unblemished animals, etc.  Dirty money was not used. 

For Christians......God loves a cheerful giver.......not one who is under any obligation.  You should therefore not bring yourself back under the law with respect to your giving, but allow the Holy Spirit to direct and guide you with this.  The main thing is that it is an amount that you are happy with after word.  If a stranger comes up to you asking for money, you give some to him as instructed in other Scriptures (Mt 5:42)......but let the Spirit guide you with the amount......so that you have no regrets later on. 


Paul to Christians:     "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion;  for God loves a cheerful giver."   (2 Cor 9:7)


Tithing is giving money under compulsion.......a 10% requirement month after month after month, etc. 

Amen Brother David! - Good answer. Some of the same answers apply to our good works and what God recognizes as good. They must be given from a cheerful heart in love.

Love In Christ,
Tom