it started almost a year ago. i knew i was the next person giving the "tithing talk" and i didn't know how. money has always been a sensitive issue in any organization, even in relationships, so i have always tried to stay away from that topic. but since there was seemingly no escape, i just prayed to the the Lord that if He wants me to give that talk, He'd better provide the materials i need.
one afternoon, while passing time at powerbooks, my sister & i came across this book entitled "siksik, liglig, at umaapaw" - it was a book not just about tithing but about giving in general. the book was funny yet insightful (at least to me, hehe) and i found what i needed there. it helped me convey the correct outlook in tithing and i think i was able to convince some of our members to tithe. ok, good job.
a few months later, i was again invited to talk about tithing, this time in a household setting. i gave the talk, and have once again influenced some more people to tithe. we had a little bit of sharing and i was amazed at the different stories i heard from our members who were practicing tithing. their stories were incredible!
i went home that night asking myself why i didn't have a similar story. i was "tithing" - not 10% but a good portion of it. so i asked, why don't i feel the "payback?" -- i'm referring to the promise in malachi 3:8-10: Dare a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me! And you say, "How do we rob you?" In tithes and in offerings! You are indeed accursed, for you, the whole nation, rob me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, That there may be food in my house, and try me in this, says the LORD of hosts: Shall I not open for you the floodgates of heaven, to pour down blessing upon you without measure?" i was waiting for the opened floodgates of blessing but it seemed that i couldn't feel it in my life.
towards the end of the year, i felt so lost. i felt like i couldn't control anything in my life. so i gave up. since i didn't have control over anything anyway, i might as well just give it all up to him. so i did. i told the Lord that i will stop robbing Him, no matter what the consequences to my financial life are. i told Him that i will never again touch the 10% that belongs to him.
less than three months since that decision, i am now so proud to say that i'm free from credit card debt (which i have been trying so hard to eliminate for years!) - a tough feat, especially for us who live in a credit card society. my personal dream of visiting the holy land and europe looks promising. i'm thinking of paying off my car loan this year. and the 10% i'm giving Him? he gave it back already (got a 10% salary increase!!) He has poured down on me blessings upon blessings upon blessings - not only financially, but personally and spiritually.
the Lord is indeed true to His word! ("The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of God stands forever" Isaiah 40:8)
not only that, i have now been hearing stories of those people i have influenced to tithe. they have their own versions of how God has been faithful to them. then there's this one story i haven't heard yet, but i am so excited to hear. this is from someone who "accidentally" heard my tithing story. we were talking casually, and i don't know how the topic went there but i just found myself telling him about how tithing has changed my life. coincidentally, he has already been praying about it, and my story was the confirmation he needed. but that's not all, it wasn't easy for him to tithe, because as it is, he's already always short on his budget - he's running negative right now. so if he tithes (as in 10%) - it would mean that he will not have money to pay some of his bills. i didn't know how to answer him but i just said that if he trusts God enough to give Him what is due Him, then God will be faithful to him, because He is the true provider. after that conversation, that person has always been number 1 in my prayer intentions!! i told God that He'd better be really true to His promise coz i basically told this person to jump the cliff! and he did!
i just wanted to cry when this person told me that he has a story to tell me about tithing! waaaah!! God is so good!! He is so true!! He is amazing!! Lord, thank you for being true to your promise. even though i haven't heard what this story is, i know that this is a story of faith given and faith returned. it inspires me to get more people to know you in this way.
so yeah, it is my firm belief that the best step to financial freedom is by giving back to the Lord what is rightfully His!! yahoo!! =)
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