To give or not to give?... that's NOT the question!

Well, I'm another year older. (Apparently!) But am I any wiser? In some ways, definitely yes; in other ways? Hmmm!! I know that when I was younger I used to learn whole passage of the bible off by heart; now the only way I can motivate myself to do a bible study is by doing a correspondence course.

(I passed the last unit by the way; no 8 of the 9 that I need to pass to get a preliminary certificate. Only - they're changing it... so now after 6 I could get a 'can't remember but something not quite as good' and after 12 I get an 'intermediary' one. Four flippen units to go before I get a decent certificate! Luckily I do it for the sake of the study & not the bit of paper (mostly anyway!)

I actually got a comment back from the marker this time ... saying I had a good understanding but my knowledge around the actual book of the bible concerned was 'fluffy'. Says it all really!


Some bible verses I have had to remind myself of just now are around Giving. Financially & regularly - to my church or a Christian organisation I believe in (as I do think that is sometimes appropriate; I'm not keen on too much 'para-church' differentiation & am pleased that I have been able to support fab organisations that I think God led me to. However, biblically it probably makes more sense for it to be the church; hitherto I have split it half & half .)


Anyway; this will be the second month that I haven't given anything material back to God. After having the privilege of helping a friend on her short term mission - something which I really believe in & loved being able to help towards - I need to begin supporting the work of my new church. But ... I've just moved, am £..... overdrawn again and keep finding myself thinking 'well, that extra £100 + a month will help towards getting rid of the debt.'

And that's true - it will. But then I am not looking through the eyes of faith - nor is my faith being outworked in obedience. And I know that 'without faith it's impossible to please God'.

But, in the past, material giving has been an easier type of obedience (when I'm managing my finances especially!) than 'loving my neighbour', among other exmples.

Maybe even those times of giving meant less than the times when I've tithed though poor.

Either way, in my experience God does keeps his promise to provide for his children. But sometimes it feels so tempting to just keep the tithe rather than trust God in this way (oh no ... is that the 'faith' issue again?!)

Having said that, a couple of years ago, when I was really stressed about my finances being so bad and I learned a big lesson about not 'putting God in a box' about this; when a member of the church spoke on the subject & said that it is OK not to tithe when getting out of debt. (Which is common sense really when I think about it.)

When I heard about this I found myself thinking; 'I have NEVER not tithed and I am not about to stop now'! Oops! So I did stop. And it was cool with God I think- and I started again when I felt it was right.

But it would be easy to put up excuses for not giving to God in this way. So I had to find some verses to remind myself when I should: 2 Cor 8 v 6 is a really good one - as is Acts 20 v 35 & Phil 4 v 18

And it totally is more blessed to give than to receive. And that doesn't just mean money - giving your time & resources (like the people who helped me move) ... hospitality these are just a few examples of how it can be enjoyable to give. And being able to have people round now for me is giving me SO much pleasure. I do get fed up of feeling like I'm always the receiver sometimes...in fact there's been times when I've found it hard to receive; and have spoiled the pleasure of people who, possibly out of obedience to God, were giving to me!

I liked this sentence in the John Ortberg book I'm reading. In the chapter entitled 'remember your stuff isn't yours' he writes (& I don't have the verse for this, I think he got it from Psalm 24 v1...)

King David once said to God 'But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?'. He doesn't ask, 'what's the least amount I can give & not get God ticked off?' He says 'who am I that I should be able to give like this? I want to use my stuff to build your kingdom not my kingdom'..

As John says - it's not my stuff. And one day I will have to give account.

When it comes down to it, God is not demanding I give or he will withhold blessings from me. But his injunction to give is clear, and it's something I've enjoyed doing in less impoverished times. And either I trust God to take care of me financially/materially, as he does in other ways & as he has in the past. Or I don't.