My wife, Rina, and I came to know about the concept of tithing when we attended our ECLS way back in 2003. We had two kids at that time and Rina was on her way with our third child. Giving 10% of our gross income versus the rising of cost of raising a family, we were not really sure how we were going to start to tithe. Our PL told us to just start tithing regularly regardless of the amount. Thus, we started tithing with a nominal amount and just promised to increase our tithe every year.
During the visit of Jean Barbara in November 2009, his message of giving more of our time, talent and resources to the Lord impressed a lot me. In January 2010, we received a tithe pledge form for the first time wherein it suggested three common approaches in tithing:
- Biblical Tithing - Pledge 10% or more of your gross annual income
- Proportionate Giving -Start with your expected income next year and pick a percentage that feels right
- “Radical” Giving - “Shock yourself with your generosity!” Consider a pledge that stretches your resources, demands sacrifices, or pushes beyond what is comfortable and into reassessment of your priorities and your commitments
As we discerned our tithe pledge, we came to realize that, despite the annual increase that we made in our tithe, it was still way off the 10%. We were just giving proportionately our income for the past 9 years. We felt convicted that we had been scrimping on our tithe despite all the blessings that the Lord had given us. Strike one!
However, when we made our tithe pledge, we still opted for proportionate-giving, justifying that it was now closer to 10% of our gross annual income.
In February 2010, the Lord again reminded us to give more when Jake Yap gave a course on tithing through FC3. Tithing is giving one-tenth of the best harvest to the Lord. It is an expression of how much we love the Lord and a manifestation of our complete trust that God will provide for our need. Again, we felt convicted. Strike two! After this powerful reminder from the Lord, we finally decided to give the 10% that was due to the Lord.
In May 2010, a significant financial blessing was given by the Lord. We immediately thought of getting a 7-seater SUV because of the growing needs of the family. We already had three children and Rina was due to deliver our fourth child that month. We searched around for various vehicle models without even consulting the Lord about the planned purchase. We fell into the trap of self-entitlement. We felt that, with that financial blessing, we actually deserve to have a real nice SUV. Our wants came in first before our needs. We were close to buying our dream car when God called our attention again. Strike Three!
God simply told us to put Him first in everything that we do or decide on. From there, we discerned the type of vehicle that God wanted us to buy. Our only basic requirements for the vehicle purchase would be for it to be a 7-seater and with aircon. In the end, we finally decided to buy a 7-seater basic AUV. It did not have power windows, power locks, fancy instrumentations, mags and ABS. We also decided to give the remaining balance of original budget for the SUV purchase to the Lord as our tithe, which, believe it or not, corresponded to a tenth of the financial blessing He gave us!
With that, we learned through tithing that God blesses us more by freeing us from the grips and shackles of the material world. We now worry less about our finances and trust more His divine providence. We are now more open to sharing our time, talents and resources to others without fear of exhaustion and depletion because we know that God will sustain and replenish us if we just put Him first above all things.
Tithing is really more like opening the palm of our hands to receive the Lord’s blessings. If we choose to close and tighten our fists, it would not be possible for us to receive all the good things that He wanted give us. Had we known the many blessings that accompany tithing, we would have started doing it a long time ago!
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