Giving Back to God

I have already shared a little bit about where my husband and I were financially when we were first married.  We knew very little, had a lot of debt, and were starting out on a teacher’s salary. So, when we found a church to join, my hubby started writing checks to the church.  Wait, what?? You see, I was not raised in church, and maybe you weren’t either, so this concept was completely ludicrous to me.  We had a stack of bills that felt like a mile high and he wanted me to make a charitable donation??  

He sweetly and preciously began explaining to me the doctrine of the “tithe”(meaning a tenth), sharing scripture with me, and sharing his heart with me.  He truly believed that if we gave back to God a portion of what God had given us, it would be a blessing to The Lord, but also a blessing for us.  

So, I decided to give a try.  

Let me just say that God has knocked our socks off with provision and blessing over and over and over again through the years.  My favorite is when mysterious checks – those we had no idea were coming – show up in the mail.  They are almost always very oddly close to the amount that we need for a bill that we would otherwise not be able to pay.  I am not kidding peeps, it has happened.  God is amazing.

Here are some scriptures that you should look up for yourself if you are curious.  


Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.  Leviticus 27:30

You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year. Deuteronomy 14:22

And this one might be the most important one:

Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2Corinthians 9:7

We did not always give 10%.  In the beginning that felt like more than we could feasibly do.  We did what we could and worked toward that.  Honestly there have been times when we were giving 10% that we had to cut back for a while.  There have also been times when we have been able to give more.  Which, in all honesty, is the reason we want to get our finances in order.  We know that God gives in order that we can give.  We also know that there are many hundreds of thousand people in this world in need.  What an awesome thing to be able to lend a hand.  

So please, if you are considering giving out of obligation – pray.  Pray that God will give you the heart to give, and show you how and where you can give.  Give because you want to and give what you can. Ultimately, give what you think God is calling you to give.  

Blessings friends!!

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