Giving (or you may have heard it referred to as tithing) is a cornerstone of Christian stewardship. If Jesus is Lord of your life then He is Lord of all of your life, your time, your money, your relationships, etc. This can be a tough area for women, but it can determine if a woman will be useful for God or not. Will you submit everything to Him, or just where it is comfortable or seems reasonable? Giving requires extraordinary faith, even more so in these times. My spiritual journey has been dominated with the topic of giving and the continual revisiting of my faith in God’s provision. I truly believe that your practices with giving can be transformational in your spiritual journey, as they have been with me.
I will fast forward through my life to the age of 31. It was that year that I became a Christian. It is still amazing to me that I accepted Jesus as my savior and then realized I had no idea what that meant! So I set out on a journey to find out what it means to be a Christian. I found a class for baby believers that studied the basics of being a Christian.
To me this study was the “checklist” for Christians and perfect for me, the compliant first born child looking for the “rules” of Christianity. The book talked first about #1 accepting Jesus as your savior. Check! #2. Declare your faith publicly by being baptized. Check! 3. Join a church and become part of the ministry, fellowship and continued growth as a Christian. Check! #4. Give to the local church.
Oh no! Giving? But I didn’t have any extra money to give! I was 31 with an ok income and credit cards charged up to the max. How was I going to give? I REALLY didn’t have any money to give to the church or anywhere else. This is where I learned to step out in faith. I had a greater fear of God than I did of my creditors. I promised that I would give a small amount every month and I had no idea where it would come from, but I would do it.
Well at first it was hard and I questioned it every month. But things started to happen. It seemed I started having enough money and the little I promised was always available. Something was changing in my attitude along with my money. I didn’t feel deprived and realized I had more than enough stuff. I quit spending for comfort and buying things I didn’t need. I started going to God when I felt bad and not to the shopping mall. I have example after example in my own life where I stepped out in faith to give and He truly gave back ten fold.
Trust him with your money and see where He takes you. Also, if you really think about it, since He gave you everything you have, what can He expect from you in return?
Kristi L. Andersen is the principal of Kristi L. Financial Partners, LLC. (www.KristiLAndersen.com) Securities offered through Financial Network Investment Corporation, member SIPC. Advisory services offered through AdvisorNet Financial if applicable. Financial Network is not affiliated with Kristi L Andersen Financial Partners, LLC or AdvisorNet Financial.
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