Tithe: One more month, LORD, and I will pay
It is month-end, and salary is here! You are super excited because you finally get to pay your dues and enjoy some of your money. Surely, what are wealth and possessions if you can not enjoy them? Even wise Solomon affirms that this is the gift of God. This article addresses those cases when the month is laden with commitments that require you to defer some “expenses”, tithe being one of them. It is an encouragement towards the timely remittance of tithe. I have seen God bless his people for faithfulness with His money, and I would love for you to step into that fullness, if not already.
There was a season of my life when I had so much going on and could not afford to pay tithe for a year. Looking back, I am sure that I could afford to pay, but I just had misplaced priorities. I eventually paid the tithe, but it led me to ponder on the dent that I had put in the church’s finances because of my delay. It also led me to wonder, “Does it matter when I pay tithe, provided I am committed to paying it?”
My conclusion? “YES, it does matter.” There could be other reasons but my top two are love and reverence for God, and because we all need money to go by on earth. Imagine if your salary or income was deferred by a month or two... You would probably contemplate industrial action and I would not blame you. It is the same with the financial matters of the House of God because ministers need money to run the affairs.
Regarding the issue of love and reverence for God, I am an auditor and one of our audit procedures on taxes involves checking timely compliance. The accountant in Uganda will not leave their desk before midnight of the 15th without filing their tax returns. We, on the other hand, have our loving Father. All that we have belongs to Him, yet He has given us all things to enjoy. However, He entrusts us with 10% that should be set apart for Him. We have had tax authorities whom we give due honour and respect, probably with some fear and a dreadful expectation of fines for non-compliance. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
So, on the question of deferring the payment of tithe: Here is Scripture: You shall not delay offering the first of your ripe produce and your juices. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. Exodus 22:29.
May God give us the grace to tithe on time. Beyond tithing, I pray that God will give us the grace to give generously and cheerfully from a place of love and devotion to Him.
Scriptures
Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? Hebrews 12:9
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:6–8
All Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version.
