Making Money Archives - Page 3 of 3

Tithing Is No Quick Fix

August 4, 2009 by EnnisP 2 Comments

Lifestyle And Consistency
Are Key

Often tithing proponents promise all kinds of blessings to anyone who gives a tithe: prosperity, health, happiness, success and who knows what else. They also make a scene when anyone receives an unexpected monetary increase after giving their first tithe payment.

They sound more like traveling salesmen offering cure-all elixirs.

When someone suggests they may not be right, they adopt a threatening tone, pronouncing curses on those who fail to give. These extreme methods provide a lot of fuel to those who oppose tithing.

There is some truth to the tithing-equals-blessing concept but the way it is presented is usually distasteful. It smacks more of opportunism than a sincere effort to work with and relate to God.

Seems more like a pill you take for a headache or an injection for the flu, things you do occasionally, following which you expect an immediate result.

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The thought is “if I give a tithe for so many days, I will get ten times more for the rest of my life, beginning tomorrow.” That isn’t an accurate representation of tithing.

One Way To Put God First

July 20, 2009 by EnnisP 8 Comments

It Wasn’t The Intention Of Jesus
To Reteach Well Established Old Testament Truths
In The New Testament

God will have no place in your life other than first. If He isn’t first He isn’t on the list. Jesus was focusing on this very matter in the Sermon on the Mount and He said,

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these (material) things shall be added unto you. (Matt. 6:33)

The one thing Jesus said would compete with God for first place is money (Matt. 6:19-34). He referred to our material resources, or money, as mammon and in His words, either God or mammon comes first. If God is first, money will be our servant. If money is first God is pushed out.

The truth is, money is either the catalyst or the barrier to God having His rightful place in your life. How you manage each paycheck will reflect, not whom you love but whom you love most.

Money management, of course, is a complete subject on its own.

Even if God has His rightful place in your budget, skills for managing the rest of your money must be learned. But, for the purposes of this study, learning to pay your tithe first on every payday is the first step in managing money and the only rational option. Paying more is acceptable. Paying less misallocates funds. Paying nothing excludes God completely.

The important question to ask is this: Is God in the “must pay” category of your budget?

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The first check you write every time you get paid should be your tithe check. If you wait till everything else is paid first there very likely won’t be enough left over to give. When that happens you are placing Him in the category of “expendable income” not first place.

Too Poor To Tithe

July 9, 2009 by EnnisP 4 Comments

Society Views The Poor
As Destitute
Jesus Never Did

Not everyone is equal in terms of financial worth. They range from very wealthy to very poor and we usually relegate those who are the poorest to the category of “Non-Contributing.” In fact, we categorize people on the basis of their expendable income (upper class, middle class, lower class, and poverty) and we do this for all the wrong reasons.

We envy and are intrigued by those who have money, who seem to make it with ease. We are drawn to wealthy people but rarely for noble purposes. The default attitude is mindless admiration and in extreme cases slavish devotion but never love.

Money is a useful tool in achieving success (as well as one evidence of success) but it cannot buy love or make you significant and it is never a good indicator of character. People with money are not always the smartest, most reliable, or most helpful. [Read more…] about Too Poor To Tithe

How Are Money and Success Related?

June 2, 2009 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Christopher Morley said,

“There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning and yearning.”

If Morley’s statement is correct, we would understand that money is only one of three essential ingredients to success, not the essence of it, and in fact, any one of the three without the others is success distorted. [Read more…] about How Are Money and Success Related?

Is It Right To Make Money?

April 14, 2009 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Absolutely! People should be encouraged to find multiple and diverse ways to create legitimate streams of income other than just getting a job. In fact, another way to ask this question is:

Is a job the best way to make money?

And the answer is, no, never! Jobs are the most common way to earn money but by far not the best and should never be your only source of income. [Read more…] about Is It Right To Make Money?