PRAYER WALL

In the Old Testament we are frequently told that Israel was to “tithe” to the work of the Lord. The word tithe literally means to give a tenth of all that one earns as wealth. Many Christians still use this concept of giving 10 percent as a good personal guideline, and so you may still hear Christians speak of giving in terms of tithing. This is fine, as long as we understand that in the New Testament we are taught, not so much tithing, but a generous, grace-based giving, that Christians are to practice as we give in the name of Jesus. It further instructs that this giving should be a joy and honor for Christians. And it should be done regularly, thoughtfully, cheerfully, and sacrificially to the Lord, His work and people (see 2 Corinthians chapters 8-9).

What most of us have learned naturally, in the world in which we live, is ownership. Ownership means, you have a job, you’ve worked hard for a check, and now it’s yours to spend on the things you want, as you see fit. Yet, when Christians embrace this ownership philosophy, they often find themselves giving to the Lord out of their leftovers (if there are any) rather than out of a heart that makes Jesus a priority. Accordingly, those who practice ownership, tend to spend their resources first on themselves, and then on the Lord (if there’s anything left) as an afterthought of Jesus. In contrast to ownership, God’s Word teaches stewardship. Stewardship views all of our wealth and even ourselves as ultimately belonging to God (See Deuteronomy 8:18; Psalm 50:10-12; Haggai 2:8; 1 Corinthians6:19-20;James1:16-17). And because stewards see themselves as belonging to God, they recognize that everything they are and have belongs to the Lord and have been given to them as gifts of God’s grace. Therefore, stewards seek both to enjoy the gifts God has given and to invest them for Jesus, His church, others and the future by distributing them wisely. In the Bible there are three basic categories that all Christians are called to steward: our time (Ephesians 5:15-16), our talents (1 Peter 4:10), and our treasure (money: Proverbs 3:9; Malachi 3:8-10; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, and God’s world: Gen. 1:28; 2:15).

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