I wrote my tithe check faithfully for several years. Never really hesitated, just wrote it out thanking God all the way. I was taught to give 10% of my Gross income, not Net. I was married had children and stuck with credit card bills as most Americans are. We lived paycheck to paycheck, and often times paycheck to Tax Refund (i.e. I often carried our checkbook in the red until we were "blessed" with our tax refund). There was a time when I was in the Army and didn’t have enough gas or money to report for Physical Training at 6:30 AM on post but I still gave my tithe, faith promise or any loose change I had in my pocket.
Obviously we struggled and it strained our marriage. I was making less than $20k/year and had 2 kids, living in a single-wide trailer. Later, when I was discharged from the Army I received some VA disability benefits and we were able to move to a bigger house. There I continued to perform as Song Leader, Sunday School Teacher, and fill in preacher while I worked 2 jobs, sometimes 3 and attended college full time. Yes, hard to believe but I did. I would leave around 7:00 AM and not return until 10:30 PM. VA had given me the opportunity to go back to school as part of their rehabilitation program, and they often pushed for a full-time course load so you can receive the maximum benefit per month and quickly graduate. Needless to say, I was tired, but mostly happy, or so I thought.
Then my phone was cut off. I was late paying the bill. Like a good Christian I gave my Tithe, plus my Faith Promise. Then I would subtract my bills. When I got down to the phone bill I went in the red. Not to worry I thought to myself, here I would get a chance to see the Lord at work and like the Pastor had preached many times, God would provide. Many a sermon I had heard about how the Lord would send $20, $50, or $100 to those that needed it especially when one was faithful in their tithe and offerings. I remembered tales of how Christians found money in the parking lot or simply received a gift from another brother or sister because the Lord led them.
Around the same time, my wife was growing as a person and was receiving considerable flak from her parents over wearing pants. Or as they put it "That which pertaineth to a man." I had made numerous attempts to come to her defense and simply explain that while the principal of the separation of the sexes is plain and eternal. I no longer agreed that pants are specifically made only for men and I don’t know of any IFB preachers that shop for pants in the women’s department at JC Penny. Unfortunately, they came short of disowning her and indirectly called her an abomination and whore. Great mother, doesn’t smoke or drink, her kids behave very well, they get A’s and B’s in school, faithful to her husband, but wait . . . she wears pants!? She’s abominable.
"Hello, yes this is he . . . no I can’t pay the phone bill [God has the money, I wanted to say]. Ok I’ll pay it as soon as I can."
No phone. I couldn't even call 911 if I needed to. What happened? Where was God? There I was living paycheck to paycheck. I gave my tithe, Faith Promise, and offerings. Where was my "good measure, pressed down, shaken?" My wife was in spiritual distress over something as silly as pants on women. I was working 2 to 3 jobs, teaching Sunday school, leading songs, singing solos, preaching and running the service. I was starting my senior year of college by now and the courses for my major were significantly harder. I kept hearing "burn out for Jesus", "serve", "give".
Funny thing when you burn out for Jesus. No one likes you any more.
Next Installment . . ."Pastor, can I still teach Sunday School even if I don’t tithe?"
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2 comments:
Thank you. May you also find His true blessings. I'm working on the next installment. Should be up real soon.
An evangelist came to the IFB church I was attending. Our pastor picked up on some of his ways. When he (the evangelist) was a pastor, if someone came to him for counseling he would first turn to his secretary and ask, "How's their tithing record?" His reasoning was - how can I counsel someone who is not tithing - they're cursed!
He was only going to there a week and I could endure him. After all next week he would be gone. Had not our pastor picked up on some of his way and began to beat up the people of the church about tithing. That's when I began to question the whole thing. Which led me Russell Kelly's web site. www.tithing-russkelly.com/
Changing my position on tithing cost me my leadership and teaching positions in the church.
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