Firstly, a HUGE thankyou to those who commented and gave me advice on taking Eme on her first plane flight. She was a dream baby and went FANTASTICALLY! I will update on the trip soon...but for the moment I have something on my mind.
I am out of work. My maternity leave has officially ended, and since I am not returning to work full time, I am out of a job. I cannot commit more than 2 days a week to work and therefore, the majority of businesses out there don't want to know me.
This is an odd feeling for me. I have NEVER been knocked back for a position. EVERY interview I have ever gone for, I have gotten the job! So it came as a bit of a shock last week when I drove all the way up to Innaloo (from Kwinana) to go for a job interview that only lasted a maximum of 10mins to then be told I hadn't got the job. I was shell shocked!
Now, after a weekend away we have returned home to reality. A reality that we cannot live off Russell's chaplaincy wage and that if I don't find work THIS week, we may just not survive.
At the start of the year we decided that we really wanted to make sure that we tithed every week. We have tithed off and on since being married, and I really felt challenged by God this year to make an effort to always tithe. So, even though it has been scary to tithe, I've still been receiving a maternity leave pay and so it hasn't been too big a deal to tithe.
This week however, if we tithe, I don't think we will be able to afford groceries, let alone the electricity bill sitting on our fridge. But I still find in my heart that God is wanting us to tithe. I am of the opinion that God will still look after us and that he will pull through. However Russ is of the opinion that sometimes God wants us to use 'common sense' and save the tithing money and use it for our groceries, etc.
So which is it? Can it be both?
I am so confused right now and in amidst of all this unknowing and uncertainty I still feel a strange peace.
I so desperately want to be a stay at home mum. I want to focus all of my time and energies into being a mum and a wife and taking care of the family home, but I feel this huge pressure to go back to work so that our family can simply exist.
I don't feel God's leading in anything, other than to stay faithful to him and to tithe. But maybe I'm not hearing right...I don't know anymore.
I just simply don't know what to do.
How have your family's been going through these times? I find it hard to say that Australia is having a financial crisis, and that we are all doing it tough. We have had it so good for so long that I think this has been a much needed wake up call.
Have you and your family been tithing? Do you think God wants us to still tithe or do you think he wants us to have some 'common sense' and spend our money more wisely?
12.4.09
In these "tough times" does God really want us to tithe?
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Bek - this is a fantastic qn!
My response is that god never wants us to tithe - but to give generously as we are able. I believe that theologically you cannot argue that tithing is a NT practice.
I would simply say listen to the spirit and then do what he says. I don't think it will always be 'common sense' nor will it always seem like foolishness, but I believe this is how god wants us to live
Trust & obey... So they say!
The fact that you find it "scary to tithe" proves taht tithing does not work as a New Covenant principle and you are not receiving overflowing blessings.
Compare Mal 3:10-12 with Deu 18:11, 12, 23. The whole law was a test for national Israel. Obey all of it to be blessed. Disobey ONE part of it to be cursed. Chrisitans never were under the law, includinng tithing.
NT giving after Calvary is primarily sacrificial which means more than 10% for some and less for others.
Russ Kelly
www.tdithing-russkelly.com
That is a very good qn!
Like those above me, I definately do not hold to 'tithing' as a new covenant element, but rather to giving sacrificially.
The question is rather personal so don't take my comments as 'what you should do'. I myself think of it like 'who am I trusting in to provide, God or myself?' Now that is very easy for me to say because I can give each week and still comfortably buy groceries. There was a time a few years ago when this was tougher...and I struggled to give. Once again, once out of that situation i felt a little guilty that I hadn't been giving, but that is also easy to say when it becomes easier to give.
What I don't believe is that God works the same with us today under the new covenant as he did with the Israelites, if you follow his commands he blesses you, if you don't then he curses you. God will still love and look after you even if you stop giving IMO...but if he is speaking to you on it then the better option, of course, is to listen and obey.
I'd like to think if things got tight for me again i would continue to give a portion of my earnings in offering...but what I like to think and what I'd do if I was actually in the circumstances may be quite different.
But I don't believe that God can be telling ME one thing and RUSS another! One of us mustn't be hearing right.
Whether it's 10% or not I don't think really matters. I just think we need to do it in some manner.
I belive that I am a generous person. I make meals for those who are in need, I give away material possessions to others in more need, I spend a lot of money helping others as this is generally how I show someone I love them...can that be included in tithing? I always seem to see it as still having to give money to the church.
Bek - as a pastor now (again) who interviews people for church membership, I tell them that we want them to give generously and sacrificially as God directs them.
I tell them I don't care if they give to church or to missionaries or to world vision or whatever!
I used to 'care', but I found that I was then sometimes manipulating people to give to the church simply so we could pay bills.
I guess that's where I struggle hamo...I KNOW our church is needy, and so I feel that we need to continue giving to the church so that they can continue their ministry's.
I've also been brought up with that in mind also. You give to the church, but you also live a generous life giving on top to those in need.
Its just that I feel WE are also in need, and no-one tends to help us out. I feel like its all going one way and nothing being returned. Not that we give in order to recieve. But you know what I mean dontchya?? :)
definitely know what you mean
i feel that in the past i have been too harsh on people in simply telling them to 'trust God' when to not give for a period would have been quite ok.
having been brought up in a similar vein i have struggled with this qn and the challenge it presents.
to take a longer view i imagine there may be periods in your life when you can be amazingly generous and there may be times when you will find it harder.
it goes against my upbringing not to tithe religiously - but then i think 'tithing religiously' is not a concept jesus would have wanted us to embrace anyway!
Hey Bek, sorry to hear you're out of a job. I assumed you'd be going back to your old workplace part-time, I didn't realise you have to look for more work. That sucks!
Have you considered recruitment agencies? I know they're just a temporary solution but it might be worth looking into for the meantime. A friend of mine recommends Gem Recruitment and Prime Recruitment as good agencies to try.
As far as tithing goes, I am in agreement with the rest of the comments here. I don’t believe tithing is binding on Christians, I have never tithed and have no idea whether what we give equals to 10%, I don’t think it matters. If some people find it helpful to tithe, then I guess that’s up to them but I think God loves a cheerful and a generous giver rather than someone who gives stacks of money with a begrudging heart.
Maybe you could give less but still give ie. buy only the essential groceries and give what you can? Is Russ part-time or full-time so could he look for a second job maybe or is he studying too?
I’ll pray things look up for you three.
we give far more than a tithe....but that is us...and the situation we find ourselves in...and of course, we are passionate about our church and more importantly the area we live in. Please dont take that as a critique on yourself, or anyone who has posted responses here.
Here is a video from John Ortberg which may be helpful.
http://www.johnortberg.com/videoserver/video.php?clip=ortbergT1013
(My advice? dont give if it means your family will starve or suffer unduly, but also dont spend all your money on useless crap, and then say you have nothing left to give to God, but I am sure you are not doing that)
To those in serious debt, I think we need to help people get out of debt, so they are then able to worship God with their giving.
I have nominated you for a Sisterhood Award. It was given to me by someone who thought my blog was creative and inspirational. In return I got to nominate a minimum of 5 women whose blogs I find inspirational and encouraging.
You can see the post at my blog at http://sedshed.blogspot.com. Now you get to share the award with other great bloggers. Here is how it works:
1. Put the sisterhood award logo on your blog or post (found on my blog, just copy it and save it to your computer first)
2. Nominate at least 5 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
I've written specifically what inspires me about your blog in my post:
http://sedshed.blogspot.com/2009/04/sisterhood-award.html
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