My last post was not intended to be a biblical expose on tithing. I am very well aware that there are many beliefs on tithing and I was not trying to make anyone else tithe or even make them believe the way I do. I appreciate the comments, but really they made me feel very ill inside. I feel that my relationship with the Creator of the Universe and His Son, Jesus is so far beyond the milk that we drink when we debate things such as tithing or baptism or such. My salvation is assured no matter what I do. If I tithe or not, I’m 100% positive I will end up with God when I die. I think Jesus is saddened when we spend so much time worrying about the legalism behind every little ‘and’ or ‘thus’ in the Bible. Because He paid the price for my sin, I do not have to worry about any of that. If you don’t believe in tithing, don’t tithe. It’s between you and God, your salvation does not hinge on that issue. What God wants us to focus on is our intimate love relationship with HIM, not religion and definitely not theology.
I look at my relationship with God like my relationship with my husband. I know without a shadow of a doubt that my husband loves me. Being married is a given. I no longer have to try to woo him or make him mine; he already is. So why would I continually go back to courting and worrying if he likes me and if I said the right thing? What I should be focused on is developing my relationship with him in a deeper and more intimate way. Unfortunately, my relationship with my husband needs improvement. Because I know that he loves me unconditionally, I work on all the other little things in my life that seem so pressing because I know that he will still be there no matter what I do. This is no way to develop an intimate relationship. No quality time is spent growing and learning about each other.
I feel the same about my relationship with God. If I leave Him until the very last, I am too exhausted and my conversations with him consist of dribble. Or if I give Him what is left over after I pay my bills, then there just isn’t any left to give. Just as I don’t want my relationship with my husband to grow cold, I surely don’t want my relationship with God to grow cold. Does a cold relationship mean that I am no longer a Christian or no longer a wife? Absolutely not. Does it mean I am not living my life to the fullest? You bet!
I do agree that tithe is a sticky issue. So-called Christian leaders have definitely exploited the concept. If someone tithes because they feel guilty, then they are doing it for very wrong reasons and are living under legalism, not freedom through grace. I do not live under guilt. When I say that I am robbing God, it is not out of fear that I say it, but out of sadness. I am robbing God of what is His the same way I rob my husband when I do not actively pursue to know him more, or the way I rob my children if I were to plop my butt in front of a movie and only talk to them on commercials. I am still a wife and still a mother, just not the best I can be. I don’t want to be just a Christian, but a friend and lover of God and I will do what I think I need to in order to achieve that.
Well said, regarding the tithe and relationships. It is so easy for us to get concerned about what we have to do, the legalism and forget about the most important things, like relationship. God so desires a relationship with us and we lose when it is missing. Keep posting.
My condolances on the loss of Bufie, the little egg maker. I’ll bet the kids are sad. Give them a hug for me.
I just read your postings on “tithing my time” from a few months ago and want to comment on my thoughts.
I am a premium member on one of those news web sites and post comments and answers on the message board. one section is on religion. I tend to lean on the side of grace almost to a fault and most of my posts were on my daily walk and not on biblical fact. I also was not trying to convert or change anyone. I recieved replies from those bound by legalism and those bound by anti legalism and a few simpathisers. After a time I found little differance in the spirit of the ones bound by the law and the ones set free from the law, both using the bible to show how there side was more biblicly sound than the other. I didn’t see the love of Christ in any of that and havn’t been on that site in a long time, but then, the site is on religon.
I know it’s hard to relay emotions in print and I read things in relation to how I am feeling, or my beliefs. I hope some of the comments didn’t stop you from posting your thoughts.