The Forgotten and Overlooked Tithe

            One of the criticisms I hear occasionally from folks who are “church drop outs” or “church cop outs” is this:   “The only thing that the church wants from me is my money”.   From my experience, churches do talk about money.   Many churches, including the church where I serve as pastor, does give a weekly report on the offering received.   Likewise, many churches regularly give a report to the congregation or an organized church body on the income versus expenses.   Of course, there are the “television preachers” who ask for your  gifts. 

            When it comes to the offerings we give to the church and the Lord, the biblical guideline of our monies to the Lord is ten percent of what we have been given.     Isn’t it great that God desires us to give a percentage of what we have to him instead of a certain monetary amount?  All of us have been blessed with some money.  Some are blessed with little, and some are blessed with much.

            It occurs to me that myself and my fellow pastors have talked much about folks giving 10 percent of their monies to God, but there is another 10 percent that has gone forgotten and overlooked.   Too many of us “preacher types” fail to mention the importance of giving God  10 percent of our time and talents.      We serve a God who desires us to love him “with our heart, mind, soul, and strength”  (see Deuteronomy 6:4).      

            Each of us has the same amount of time:  24 hours a day, 7 days in a week.     While each of us has a choice about how we “spend” time, none of us can buy time or sell time.   Are you honoring God by giving Him 10 percent of your time?     Are you spending time regularly in   (as John Wesley put it) in “works of piety” like prayer, Bible study, worship, and the like?   Are you spending time regularly in “works of mercy” (as Wesley put it) helping those in need in our world and community?   

            Are you spending time regularly sharing your talents to help others?    Two business people I know give 8 hours of their time each week (a single day) to help others in their profession.       Business people sign up to spend a hour with these successful business people at no charge.   These business people do it freely and willingly because God has laid it on their heart to help others.  

            Today, this pastor asks you to prayerfully consider not just whether you put a tithe or 10 percent into the collection plate, but whether you give a tithe or 10 percent of your time and talents to the world around you.     I can guarantee you that you don’t have to tell me what you do or what you are doing, but I can guarantee you that someday each of us is going to answer about that to God.  Have a joy-filled week.-   Pastor Randy Wall  

Prayer:   O God, we thank you for your goodness to us all the time in a multitude of ways.   Help us to honor you by giving to you and others in every way;  through Christ our Lord.  Amen.