Christmas: On Tithes and Temptations

The Holy Spirit depicted as a dove above the H...

Image via Wikipedia

Well, December is upon us with all of its commercialism. I have already spent too much as many of us do. I have trouble distinguishing between wants and true needs about this time every year and it’s hard to say no, even when funds are limited. With eight kids to buy for, one of their spouses, and one girl friend even just spending $25 – $50 each it quickly adds up to close to $500. And I know some people who spend that much on just one or two kids. And why do we spend too much? Because we love our children and we want to give them not only what they need but a few things they want, too. And God, in the same way, not only gives us what we need, but sometimes even gives us the desires of our hearts if we continue loving and serving that great God of ours.

It’s when we start giving ourselves the desires of our hearts that we run into trouble. It’s called greed and I’m guilty. I’ve bought myself a few things that I probably shouldn’t have (a purse and shoes, and a new bathroom sink to replace the plastic one in my mobile home that I hated.) But because I wasn’t as careful with my money as I should have been, I almost bounced my tithe check (which I should have given in cash to make sure that came out first). As a result, much of our needs are now dependent on my selling a few puppies before the holidays, which I trust God will help me to do, though I really don’t deserve God’s help, since I got myself into this mess.

But it’s just like my God to bail us out of our self-made messes. You know, God’s done this a few times before that I can recall. Just a glance through the scriptures show us just how merciful and gracious our God truly is. How many times, even in our own lives, has God reached down from the glories of heaven and humbly given us a helping hand just when we needed it. I remember one time, when I had exactly two thousand dollars to buy a car with, and found one for just that amount. I wrestled for two days on whether or not to pay my tithes, because I knew if I paid it, I wouldn’t have enough to buy that car I needed. I was determined that God would forgive me and let me buy the car, but when Sunday rolled around I just couldn’t do it and paid my tithe any way. I made up my mind that I would just have to look for another car for $1800 instead.

Well that very afternoon, the man called and said that they had found a problem with the transmission in the car, so he would deduct the $1200 cost to have it fixed and just wanted $800 for the car instead. Needless to say, I bought that car and drove it for several years before having any problems with it. And the best part of it was that the cost of the car left me $1000 dollars to buy my kids Christmas with that year that we would not have otherwise had. Now that was truly a blessing. And as my old pastor, Br. Richard Miley, used to say, “You just can’t out give God!” So I encourage all of you out there, don’t forget to give God what you owe in tithes, because you will always receive a bigger blessing than if you don’t. After all God has already given us the greatest blessing of all, the Christ Child of long ago, who still reigns today in our hearts and lives when we obey and honor God.

So learn from my mistakes, and my wrestlings if you can. Don’t spend too much on yourself or on others, which is easy to do this time of year, and pay God first so that you can receive all the blessings God has for you. Have a very Merry Christmas with your families. Let us all come together in love and grace for one another and may God heal all of the breaches our unforgiving hearts have made this year.

Remember my family in your prayers as this is our first Christmas without my father, and some of our breaches are not yet healed. I have asked for forgiveness for the harsh words I said to my family, but a few have not extended that grace as yet. I have made the choice to forgive them for their part in my father’s death, though they truly believe they did nothing wrong in taking away life sustaining nutrition and hydration. I can’t agree with that, but I know that they made their choices based on what they believed was right for my father. So I chose to forgive them even if they don’t think they need to be forgiven and even if they never ask for it, for my own sake. Forgiveness is sometimes more for the one doing the forgiving than for the one receiving it. And God’s word says that if we don’t forgive others their trespasses, neither will God forgive ours.

So I plead with all of you, don’t let the year end with an unforgiving heart. Be gracious to someone you truly love and forgive them for your own sake, as well as theirs. And don’t leave Christ out of Christmas or you’ll wind up with just an Xmas instead– a season with no true joy. May God bless each and every one of you this Christmas!

After Christmas Procrastination (gofishministries.wordpress.com)
Does God Give Us Money for Our Cigarettes? (gofishministries.wordpress.com)
A Prayer to Yahweh God (gofishministries.wordpress.com)
Awake, Children of Light (gofishministries.wordpress.com)
What is Christian Counseling? (gofishministries.wordpress.com)

About mamaheartfilled

I am a mother of eight wonderfully challenging children and fourteen grandkids, of whom I am very proud. I am also a bi-vocational ordained evangelical minister, and a Christian Counselor. I received my B.S. degree in 2004, studying primarily in the areas of Psychology, with minors in Religion and English. I received my Masters Degree in 2009 in Psychological Counseling with an emphasis in Christian Counseling. I have endeavored to paraphrase the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. It is my hope that it will be of some use in the great commission of Christ. My ministry is primarily geared toward victims of sexual and domestic violence, including victims of childhood sexual abuse, whether currently or in the past. Since I have personally experienced the healing hand of God in overcoming many of the life issues that Christians may face, I feel qualified and compelled to discuss them in a truthful and open manner, as God’s word tells us that “We shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free.” God has brought me through such diverse tribulations as sexual, physical, and mental abuse, being a victim of a drunk driving accident, spousal pornography addiction, adultery, divorce, remarriage, a very brief, though unjust, incarceration, and having experienced multiple miscarriages and various other trials. I have been asked to leave two Southern Baptist Churches, due to my being a female, ordained as a minister, and fired from a SBC sponsored Christian School (mostly white) for speaking out against racial prejudice in the Family of God. Through God’s merciful forgiveness of my own sins and inadequacies and God’s grace given to me to forgive those who have been a stumbling block to me, I have overcome many of these adversities. God’s word tells us that “All things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to the purposes of God." Since I have this hope, I believe that God has blessed me with the ability to confront and relate these issues to the Christian community around the world. I hope to be able to use my personal experiences as a ministry of God’s grace and in the comforting of the people of God with the truth of God's mercy. I claim II Corinthians 1: 3 & 4 as my calling, which states: “Blessed be God, the Origin of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Origin of mercies, and the God of comfort; who comforts us in all our troubles, that we may be able to comfort those who are in trouble, by the comfort we ourselves have been given by God.” As I have received the gift of God’s healing, I hope to be able to bring the peace beyond understanding to others with the message of God’s mercy and grace. My love for the Sovereign Lord of my life, Jesus Christ, along with my passion for writing has drawn me to explore these commonly experienced crisis issues from the perspective of my own experience in the hope that I may bring an empathetic and compassionate insight to God’s people. I am now a published author and have several books in publication, including my autobiography, "A Little Redneck Theology." The views expressed in my writings are strictly my own insights, acquired from personal experience and diligent study of the related topics and God’s word concerning them. Though I am an ordained minister, my views should not be considered authoritative. I believe that the Christian community’s ultimate authority is the guidance of the human heart by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

View all posts by mamaheartfilled →