January 2024
A third reason our family tithes from our God-given income is to increase our faith and enlarge the kingdom of God.
3. We Tithe for Advancement
“Without faith, it is impossible to please God,” (Hebrews 11:6) and faith always involves risk. What we say we believe means very little unless it moves us to action, and those actions should reflect our deeply held conviction that God will take care of our needs. What we have learned together is that He leads us from a little faith to a larger faith by providing in ways that defy the normal order of things.
We believe God’s promise in Malachi 3:10-12 is still active and that marvelous things will happen that would not have occurred if we had not tithed, as any regular tither can testify.
We also realize the tithes of God’s people fund His work through the local church. According to one reputable source, the average Christian in the United States gives 2.5 percent of their income to their church. Think of the millions of “opened windows in heaven” that have remained closed because of the missed opportunities to tithe! Consider the size of the gospel outreach and harvest that will not happen if God’s people do not tithe. So, we choose to be a tithing family to support true kingdom growth.
Here’s a New Year’s challenge for you: try tithing for three months and see what God does to supply your needs. Better yet, make a one-year commitment as a family or individual to give a tenth of your income to the Lord through your local church. At the end of 2024, assess your spiritual growth and your financial situation and you will be able to give God thanks for His provisions.
Lynn Hardaway, Network Missionary