The
Dime
“…see that you also excel in this
grace of giving…God loves a cheerful giver.”
2 Corinthians 8:7, 9:7
Kelly and Barb had been going to Grove
Nazarene for almost a year when they decided it was time to get on
board financially. Actually, it was more Barb’s idea than Kelly’s.
Still not completely sold on tithing, Kelly reluctantly wrote a check
for ten percent of their week’s income, and stuck it in his shirt
pocket.
During church he weighed the merits of
giving away their hard-earned income to a church that, as far as he
could see, didn’t really need his money. The silent debate raged
even as the ushers began receiving the offering.
With the basket just two rows away,
Kelly noticed his three-year-old daughter reaching for something on
the floor. Being a conscientious father, Kelly had scanned the carpet
and chairs for anything a small child might find and stick in their
mouth when the usher had seated them. Having found nothing earlier,
Kelly was surprised, when holding a dime at arm’s length, she
asked, “Can I put this in the basket, Daddy?”
Perceptive enough to recognizing the
significance of the mysteriously-appearing dime—ten cents
being ten percent of one dollar…God’s mandate for tithing—Kelly
couldn’t get the check out of his pocket and into the basket fast
enough!
In the subsequent weeks and months, God
showed Kelly that his faithfulness in tithing would be met with God’s
faithfulness in meeting every financial need.
† † †
God will not pry from our hands what is
rightfully His…ten percent or otherwise. He will, however, provide
object lessons for our benefit such as having Paul share the eager
generosity of the Macedonian’s with the Corinthian church
(2 Corinthians 8:1-7) in the hope they might follow the Macedonian’s
lead. He provided a similar lesson for Kelly using his daughter and a
dime.
God considers us sensitive enough to
understand these lessons, leaving the response to us. He’s looking
for those who would advance His Kingdom; not simply out of obedience,
but out of a glad heart that finds joy in seeing His Kingdom prosper.
Prayer
“Teach me to hold on
loosely to the things You have given me, Father. Create in me a heart
that cheerfully invests in the Kingdom of Your Christ. Amen.”
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