Be a Good Steward of God’s Money
ICS Daily Devotions
1 Timothy 6:18-19 (NKJV) Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Born again Christians have the nature of God in them. Because His nature is loving, caring, and sharing, He would also expect us to do likewise to the people around us. Christians are the body of Christ and a channel of His blessings. Therefore, He will instruct His body through the Holy Spirit who lives in us by prompting us to give and help those whom He impresses upon our hearts. We are a steward of God and God wants us to be rich in good works, ready to give, and willing to share. The act of giving is an expression of our trust in the Lord based on biblical financial principles.
Malachi 3:10 (NKJV) Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.
Tithing is still applicable today. The twofold purpose for tithing is that it is a form of honouring God as the source of our provision, but the tithe also provides for the work of the ministry in the church. Faith is developed when we tithe to the Lord, and He provides for us faithfully throughout the years. He told us not to rob Him of the tithe but to try Him in whether He will provide for us as we tithe faithfully.
Trying Him does not mean playing “show hand” with God through a one-off giving in a “do-or-die” situation. Rather, it is a lifestyle of trusting and expressing our dependence on God by obeying His instruction to tithe 10% of our income and profits. There is no need to panic or be anxious when things aren’t going well. As long as we have been tithing, we can be confident that the Lord who has been providing for us throughout the years will see us through.
We will only struggle to tithe if we have been holding onto the secular worldview of success based on meritocracy without God in the equation. Though we may struggle initially, our faith will be built up little by little as we practise these biblical financial principles.
God is just. He has established the tithing principle as a form of worship unto Him, but it also gives Him the opportunity to honour His covenant with us. When we give as His covenant partner, we are sharing with Him in the work of the ministry, and as our covenant partner, He will richly provide for us through our jobs and businesses, and we will experience His grace, mercy, and protection from wrong investments when we consecrate our lives to Him.
Sermon Series: Freely Received and Freely Give
