Oh, I just love when God tells me to write about this subject…that was a faith statement. Truthfully, I seek God about every single teaching and most of the time I love what he gives me. However, when he tells me to write about giving, I cringe. Why? Not because I don’t believe his word concerning giving, I absolutely do. It is because so many people don’t want to hear it. It seems that the church, as a whole, is not very blessed. Most people struggle or live week to week, and that is not the way God intended for it to be. He said from the very beginning that he would bless his people…and that he would bless them so abundantly that they could bless the whole world. THAT is how it is supposed to be for the body of Christ.
In my humble opinion, there has been so much bad teaching on giving and so much disappointment where giving is concerned that people don’t want to hear it. I understand that however, there is more said in the Bible about giving than there is said about heaven or hell. Jesus said in Luke 16:9-11 that trusting him with our money was the very least use of our faith. Until we are faithful in our giving, we won’t ever see the greater things that we are all hoping to be a part of. Let’s look at Luke 16:9-11, in the Amplified Bible; “He who is faithful in a very little [thing] is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest and unjust in a very little [thing] is dishonest and unjust also in much. Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the [case of] unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), who will entrust to you the true riches?”
As I stated earlier, much of the body of Christ lives in lack to some degree, and it should not be this way. The question is, have you been found faithful in your finances? I know this is not an uplifting message but it can be a life-changing message if you allow it to.
There was a time that I became so discouraged in my giving that it affected my giving. I realized, first of all, that my heart was wrong, and I was giving to get and not giving because God said to.
Secondly, I had to ask God to soften my heart in this area. I realize, if the devil can get me hardened to giving and tithing, he has already blocked any blessing I could ever have. My heart reason for giving is just as important as how much I give or how often I give.
You can’t buy God’s blessing with money, however, you can put yourself in a position to receive his financial blessings. You do that by faith in God and his word, by continuing to do what the word says and by continuing to trust him with your finances, – especially when it is hardest to give. 2 Cor. 9:7 says; “As you purpose in your heart, give, not grudgingly, or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
We have all read the story about Cornelius, whose gifts of money came up before God as a memorial. This is true. Yet, it was his faith that ultimately pleased God. It was his faith in God and his word that caused him to give.
Just like the widow woman who fed Elijah in 1 Kings. It was her faith in God and his word to her that empowered her to give her last meal – she trusted God with her last meal and she gave it in faith.
Her faith produced a miracle in her life – she was sustained until the drought ceased.
Giving is an empowerment and the devil knows that. Acts 20:35 says; “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” The word blessed means empowered to prosper. It is an empowerment to prosper when we give.
Now, I realize many of you are thinking ‘I have tried that, it didn’t work.’ This is a heart issue, you can’t try giving and tithing, it must become a lifestyle. As a friend reminded me this morning; we must keep doing what is good and what we know is right according to the word of God, for when we do, we reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. (Gal. 6:9)
I remember when my tithe was $10 a week. I remember when I gave change because it was all I had. I started out broke, beyond broke, but God showed me in his word if I would give when it was hardest to give, that he would always get me through. And he has. I may not be where I want to be at this moment, but I am in a much better place than I was back then. Praise God!
There is one more thing I want to address before closing this out. I am often asked where you should give. Malachi 3:10 says; “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.”
A storehouse is a place where food is kept or where you go to get food. Your local church would certainly be your first choice. If you are being fed at your church. To me, being fed means your place of nourishment, the place you obtain the food you need to hold on to the promises of God and to grow in the things of God. The place where you get what you need to sustain you.
In a perfect world, everyone would attend a church whose goal was to feed the people nourishment from the word of God. In a perfect world we would get everything we need from that place and put all our resources there.
Yet, I know for a fact that not every city has a church like that, not everyone can attend a church like that. Church is vital for the people of God. But so is nourishment and the food you need to empower you to walk in the things of God. I know many people who attend a church that is not feeding them. They eat elsewhere.
I remember a time I was attending a church in Knoxville, TN. The pastor and his wife were wonderful friends of mine. I loved them dearly. I went to church there and I tithed and gave there. However, I wasn’t getting fed there, I was eating at a different ministry. It was at this other ministry where I was growing leaps and bounds in my faith. I said nothing to my pastor. In my heart, I knew I wasn’t getting fed at his church. I had a conversation with God one day when God told me to give where I was fed. I still did nothing. I prayed and one day this pastor came to me and said ‘Kim, we appreciate your offerings, but you need to put your tithe where you are being fed.’ I could not have been more shocked. This man didn’t have an ounce of greed of selfishness in his body. He released me to tithe where I was being fed and we were both blessed.
If you aren’t in a local church that feeds you, find one that will. But if for a season you can’t find that church, give your tithe and offering to where you are being fed, don’t stop giving. I can guarantee you that ministry is paying a price to feed you.
I don’t know about you but I am ready for this season of lack in the body of Christ to end. I am ready to see the body of Christ walking in the blessings of God. I am ready to see barns overflowing and storehouses overflowing with the continual blessings of God. Yet, I know to see those type of blessings we must first be found faithful in our finances. We won’t see the true riches until we are found faithful in this area. Those are Jesus’ words, not mine.
If you are faithful to God in your finances, I pray you see the blessings of God overtake you this season. If you have not been faithful, it’s a new day, begin to be faithful today. God can redeem the time and bring you quickly into a time of His outpouring of blessings! It’s our time – let’s begin to walk in the blessings of Almighty God, the way He intended us to.
