We know that tithing is a tribute to the sovereignty of God. We give to him in recognition of His Majesty and his claim over us as his subjects. We give to him because we are in partnership with him in the Kingdom. We believe that all we are and all we have belong to him. We give because we are loved and this is part of our expression of worship. We give because we want to put something in his hands for the work of the Kingdom, of which we are a vital part. We give because we cannot out give God, for he is no man’s debtor. We give because our giving is always overwhelmed by our receiving. We give as a hedge of protection around us. It is a safeguard against the devourer (Malachi 3: 11 who loves to attack the economy of a nation, and the source of its wealth.
In our giving God receives from us the respect and awe that he deserves. He loves to be obligated in love. He loves to partner with us. He wishes to prosper us in all things (3 John 2) and our giving allows him to do that. He loves to work with us and giving puts us in a place of mutual resourcing; And he loves the greater part of that.
When we withhold our substance, it puts us in a place where we must at least become responsible for our own income. When we refuse to give, we are putting God behind us rather than in front of us. We are deducting the probability of increase. We are repressing the possibility of our prospering. We are on our own.
We have resisted God’s willingness to prosper us. We intend to battle the Devourer by ourselves. We have suppressed blessings. By withholding, we are refusing God’s input into our own personal economy. We relinquish his support when we make a go of it by ourselves.
If that was all we had to contend with then maybe we think we could handle it. However, it is a lot more personal than that to the Lord. He has given us so much already and for us not to reciprocate means we would come into deficit with him. He calls withholding an act of robbery (Malachi 3: 7-12) and commands that we return to him in this regard.
The penalty for forsaking the Lord was laid down in the old covenant (Deuteronomy 28: 15-20). We come under a blight that affects all we have and do. We become vulnerable to the devour. In the Old Testament, our disobedience carried with it a curse or a penalty. In the new covenant, Jesus took care of the curse himself and paid the penalty. Therefore, in the New Covenant a penalty has become a consequence of behavior and not a curse. We will reap what we sow.
We cannot rob God of partnership and expect to receive when we need it. Our receiving can never overtake our withholding. When we fail to give, we put a cap on all that we have. We repress our own increase. We deduct blessing from ourselves.
When we lift the embargo on our giving, we remove the blockage from our receiving. Only God can rebuke the devourer for our sake. When we give, we put the Lord to a test of generosity. He says, prove me now! Only he can open windows of blessing until we overflow.
Only he would give us the challenge to receive. That is the partnership. Giving stimulates abundance. He wants us to give because then we become the ones challenged to receive. As Jesus put it: give and it should be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure, press down, shaking together and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return (Luke 6: 38).
We are being measured for a blessing. It is in proportion to what we give. Our giving becomes our challenge to receive. The real challenge in our receiving is to move from lack into abundance. We are always being challenged by fullness. Ultimately, it is not about giving. It’s about the need to be generous, open-hearted, and extravagant. When we give, we come into the realm of fullness, which changes our personality and makes us like God in our willingness to share and be generous. Generosity has always removed any possibility of anxiety. It looks to fullness alone as the source of life.