Tithing

It’s funny that at this age, I still have so much happening in life. so much transitions (still), so much adventures. I’m happy though.

May I always remember this phase of life when I have a community of Kingdom friends who I can hang out with, fellowship with, attend service tgth with, grow and seek the Lord tgth with. 

And the strength and discipline I’ve had the past 1.5years to stay and stick with BSF (bible study fellowship). I’ve learnt so so much about God’s personality. So much about the faith in the biblical characters, so much about the similarity in challenges that we still face in this generation.

Anyway, I really wanted to post this because I want to record this new big step I’m going to take again. It’s something that the Lord has been speaking to me about the past few years, but I’ve always had a reason to procrastinate the decision.

Basically, it’s about tithing.. enough preachers have spoken about the power of tithing, the obedience of tithing, the necessary ‘sacrifice’ of tithing not because of the church’s needs but the faith to trust that God will use it to multiply. The reasons I’ve been procrastinating since I started working has always been because I havent felt connected to the new church, despite feeding from it for the past 5 years (gasp it’s been 5 years since I graduated wth, where did time go). 

Prior to this, I’ve been planning my finances very carefully and making sure they are not idling and not overspent. I’ve had a long long process of planning it and I think I finally have it settled (or rather, happy with where my pay is going). 

Not just that, recently I’ve also been noticing how much my mum has been ageing.. she lost her teeth cause she bit a really hard biscuit...... just few days ago, she was making some medicine for her eyes, when I interrogated her and ask her what’s wrong with her eyes, she refused to say. She usually keeps these things to herself so as not to worry us.... but it really scares me. She has been working freelance, and she’s been more frequently staying home lately... maybe she really feels tired now.. Since my parents are not on talking terms, and dad has mostly been supporting me, I’ve always given him allowance (about 10%) instead of mum. But we’ve been talking about giving my mum allowance too so she can stop working. So that would be additional % of my pay going out. Over and above dad’s allowance, over and above tithing that I’m planning to commit and do. 

NOT JUST THAT, it’s also been on my heart to bless a friend by buying a meal for him. He seemed to be financially struggling.. doesnt have dinners all the time. Not trying to lose weight cause he feeds joyfully on leftovers. He comes late when we plan to meet for dinners cause he has no intention to eat out. He is also working on contract basis and something else that another friend shared about him which made me feel so burdened.

It’s crazy that God is trying to challenge me financially. As much as it will be a stretch, I do have faith that God will not leave me penniless. I have faith that God will bless me with more in fact. I trust that He will provide me with more than what’s sufficient for me or more just as how God supplied generously and graciously for King Solomon. So this is me recording it down, with no intention of boasting of my giving, but hopefully seeing how God amazingly blesses abundantly me more than I ask for. 

 “So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭3:11-13‬ ‭NIV‬‬