Let’s talk about money today:
Luke 12:16 Then He (Jesus) spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
How would you like to be called a “fool” by Our Heavenly Father? Ugggh! Try to read this post without being offended for your soul would have you believe otherwise for the ego wants to maintain control and one of the most precious topics to it is “money”. It is more subtly known as greed or coveting. The love of money or “greed” is the root of all evil. Why? It assumes that Our Heavenly Father does not love you and will not provide for you. It also assumes that the physical universe is the sum total of resources to sustain us, that is to say, the physical is superior to the spiritual.
I find that many wealthy people develop an attitude of entitlement as though they were created as special people with a special “anointing” to be rich. They are the upper echelon of humans living on earth thus they should have special privileges. Whether it be front row seats or the finest dining, the “entitled” continue their pursuit of “greater barns”. Wall Street is the culmination of that attitude. Lawlessness becomes a necessity for the rules must be bent in order to obtain the next million dollars. Before long, lawlessness is at the center of the person’s life. Our Heavenly Father has tagged them as “fools”.
On the other hand, Our Heavenly Father established a “barometer” among His people. Giving! By offering up your firstfruits, you establish that Our Heavenly Father is the ultimate source of our sustenance, not the world system.
Gen 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he [was] the priest of the most high God. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed [be] Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Abraham was no fool. He knew his future was not based on building bigger barns for he knew where his success came from. Tithing is a touchy subject with people. Each and every time the subject is brought up, people grab their wallets. This is partly due to what is in their heart. Deep down, they assume that the person bringing up the subject is trying in manipulate them and finagle money from their bank account. “To the pure, all things are pure.” One could say, “To the impure, all things are impure” as well. By the way, “tithing” began before the Mosaic Law was given. Yes, churches have used and abused tithing to extract money from the people. The tithe is Our Heavenly Father’s thus we should ask Our Heavenly Father where HE wants HIS money to go. That was easy!
Why tithe? You establish who god in your life: Our Heavenly Father or greed. It is a time to reflect of what is in your heart. If you are not a cheerful giver then you are not really giving out of Love but out of duty. Jesus was able to multiply resources as needed. Do you think Our Heavenly Father can’t do the same on our behalf? Do you seem to always be upside down on your monthly bills? It’s not about the money, it’s about the heart. Go ahead and rationalize away that you should not be a giver. That is your ego keeping you separated from the Kingdom of Our Heavenly Father. Fear, uncertainty, and doubt are the three sisters of the ego. Aspiring overcomers are known as “givers”, not “takers”. If you are waiting for your ship to come in before you start giving, you might as well go home for the ship will not arrive. Our Heavenly Father blesses stewards with more resources whereas the evil steward has his substance taken away.
By the way, don’t shoot the messenger.