My early, childhood years revolved around church, as does my adult, golden years. I love God deeply and I’m learning to trust His Word more and more each day. He certainly takes care of my wife and me in all areas of living. I believe this is reflective of our standard of living the past forty years of marriage; paying a tenth of our earnings to God’s programs. We’ve learned that you can’t out give God.
For years I’ve heard the saying, “You can’t out give God,” prior to an offering plate being passed in church. What does this phrase actually mean, you might ask?
First of all, I believe that Christians have an obligation to support the local church where they attend with their tithes, and provide financial support to the work of God where He directs them to give. Paying tithes is a responsibility that every Believer should deem necessary in their striving to be accountable to God. It stands to reason that without accountability there is little responsibility. They go hand in hand.
Offerings, on the other hand, are above and beyond the tenth that God requires. In that God pours blessings into a person’s life, because they are faithful in tithing, there is money to support a good cause now and then as they present themselves.
The Holy Spirit moves upon obedient hearts that desire to give. Sometimes they are impressed to give more than their supposed ability to meet the obligation. I’ve heard it called, “Stepping out in faith.” They pledge money they may not have at that moment, but with the anticipation that God will soon supply the need.
There must be caution and certainly wisdom implemented here. Pledging a million dollars and then buying a lottery ticket hoping that God will help a person to win is not wise anyway you look at it. I believe we can trust God’s Word, but it’s hard at times to put your money where your mouth is when doing reckless things. Know this, you can’t out give God when the Spirit is prompting you to do something, because of the promise in (Luke ).
(Luke 6:38), “Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
It takes money to heat and light the facilities of any business, be it commercial, or the neighborhood church. The operation and community outreach of such churches require financial support of some kind unless everyone on staff are volunteers and wealthy; which is usually not the case.
The need for money goes hand in hand with the responsibilities that a local church takes on. If success is the bottom line desire in helping people with spiritual, mental, and even physical needs, with respect to dire needs of the disadvantaged, the church can be that medium to under gird and strengthen those that need it.
The essential need of providing a place for people to come together in worship, the house of God, takes money. Tithes and offerings need to be received, such, that the programs of God can continue to flourish and excel, rather than failing to meet the needs of people. This is God’s commission to the “Church.”
It seems strange to me when I hear people make subtle remarks like, “Why are they taking another offering?” or “All they ever talk about is money.” In my opinion, these people lack vision of what the Body of Christ is able to do for the Kingdom of God
Perhaps they are looking for a reason to find fault with the church, but that’s between them and God. Let’s face it; it takes money for anything worth while to succeed.
(Malachi 3:10-11), “ ‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.’ ” vs.11 “ ‘And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
God expects one tenth of our earnings to be given to the work of the Lord—our money is His anyway, yet He only requires a tenth. Jesus Christ must be presented to those that are lost in sin. When people are faithful in giving to God, His hand is not shortened in blessing those that obey, while souls that need the Lord are touched and set free from bondage.
I don’t give to receive, although God’s Word says that He will give back to me if I do. Notice the word if in the sentence above. God didn’t say receive and then give. He said, “Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will I put into your bosom.”
It’s not that God has someone standing by to write a check to reimburse us for our giving, though He could do this if He chose to. I believe that God blesses the giver in various ways: through sale’s items in stores; buying something at a garage sale that we’ve wanted; finding favor with someone that is selling something, and getting a better deal. I don’t know how it all works; it just does.
The following are examples of the above thoughts: My youngest son and his wife had their first child last December. The person that prepared their taxes failed to include the child as a dependent for the full year; only December. He called and told my son of his error, which made a difference of $500.00 in their favor.
I just got off the phone with my sweet daughter-in-law. We were talking about God’s promise to those that obey (Malachi 3:8). In her words she said it this way, “You can’t afford not to pay tithes.” She proceeded, “Checks in the mail at random and monetary blessings at showers and our wedding are just a few of the blessings from God, because of tithing.”
I have observed numerous times that God has supplied their needs since they have been married. God keeps pouring blessings into their life, because they are faithful to God’s programs with their money. They give with a glad heart, knowing that God is using their tenth to bless other people. This knowledge, in itself, brings joy to them.
Another example is when I started my construction company years ago. My first endeavor to secure a job, I presented a bid to a lady that wanted to turn her garage into more living space. Being a new contractor and all, I had to land this job to put food on my table and continue sending my three children to Christian school. I gave a ridiculously low bid.
To show you how God works, the lady of the house asked me if I were making any money, because my bid was considerably lower that another bid that she had received. My reply was, “A little.” She said, “Why don’t we tack on an extra five hundred dollars to your bid.” That’s God! This was a lot of money when I needed it the most. God is faithful!
Through that experience I learned to trust God even more that day. I was His kid and He loved me; but I loved Him too and showed it by giving tithes to my church. How can a person lose when God is on their side? But we have a responsibility to Him—trust and obey.
God assured me that He was with me and that my business would succeed as long as I put Him first in my life. You can’t out give God; I don’t care what anyone says. He makes a way where there seems to be no way.
One more example of God’s faithfulness is when a former boss gave me several sections of wrought iron fencing and gates that he was throwing away. The iron had been stored in the company corporation yard for years. I didn’t have a real need for the pieces, but felt that I had to take all of it home. I stacked it along the fence at the side of my house.
A short time later I owed a $567.00 bill; with no money to pay it. A long story short…I advertised the wrought iron in our local newspaper. Piece by piece people bought what they needed. At the selling of the last section, the total amount received was exactly $567.00. Was that God giving back into my bosom? I believe it was a miracle; and yes, it was! You can’t out give God.
To this day my wife and I still pay tithes to the church that we attend; not to get from God, but to stay in obedience to His Word. We have proven the Bible to be alive and true. I want to obey the Lord in all things, even with my pocket book. Try it and see for yourself. His blessings will follow you wherever you go.
I don’t want to stand before God in the judgment and hear Him ask, “Why didn’t you tithe?” I can tell you from personal experience that I do more with 90% of my income than I could ever do with the full 100%. I have tried it both ways, but found that it works for me when I give God His portion. I learned the joy of giving.
(Numbers 23:19), “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
You can trust what the Bible says. It is the inerrant Word of God. You can take that to the bank, because you can’t out give God.
Written by,
Papa Boyd
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