“Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”
We work hard at our jobs to make money so that we can purchase things and live life. Budgets, retirement accounts, and investments have been around for a long time. When you first get out on your own, you start this process and for some it comes naturally, others adhere to it kicking and screaming. I have found that rarely people like to talk about money when it comes to budgeting and spending wisely. But no matter how you receive it, money and budgeting go hand in hand.
One of the money issues we deal with is the tithe. As Christians, we understand that we should tithe because it is a precedent set in the Bible. Some would like to say that tithing is not for the new covenant because the Israelites were made to tithe under the law of Moses. Valid point, but the truth about tithing goes far beyond the law of Moses. Our verse comes many years before the law of Moses. Abram gives a tenth to the priest Melchizedek. This happens after Abram rescues Lot and defeats a number of kings that have come against the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Why did Abram give a tenth to the priest? The Bible does not say. But the verse comes directly after the priest blesses Abram. I think we need to pay attention to order here. God blesses Abram and he gives a tenth. Abram was not made to give a tenth, he was not under obligation to give a tenth, he simply did it in response to the blessing. Furthermore, he wanted nothing in return (see verses 22-24).
Too many times in today’s church we give to get. We listen to sermons so we can consume and be blessed. While living a life for Jesus is full of blessing, we should not have an attitude of give and get. Jesus blessed us with his sacrifice on the cross so we could all join Him in heaven one day and live abundantly. Tithing should be done the same way Abram did it. He gave because he was blessed and wanted nothing in return. Abram understood that all he had was because of the Lord and he should honor the Lord with a tenth.
If we trust our Lord and savior Jesus Christ for salvation, healing, and blessings then why is money so hard? The tithe should be a response, like budgeting, that is naturally done because you are blessed. Malachi 3:10 tells us to test the Lord in this tithing thing and see if the Lord will not bless us return. If you are a tither that is great. Just make sure your motive is the same as Abram’s. If you are not a tither, I would encourage you to start. Start today and test the Lord, just like He told us to in Malachi. Give it some time. I look back and see how my family made it through hard times because the Lord sustained us with wisdom and we tithed throughout the entire time. Tithing is in the Bible and we should make our money fall under the care of the Lord.
Let It Go 
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