Cause & Effect

“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” Pr.3:9-10 [NIV]

John D Rockefeller, in his biography stated that, one of the secrets of his wealth is his “ten-ten-eighty” rule. And he explained the rule to be, he tithes the first ten percent of all his income. He pays himself with the second ten percent, then budgets the last eighty percent. Someone asked me to explain why the tithe is ten percent. And I said, I do not know why it is ten percent but I know that nine percent or five percent is not tithe.

God said ten percent, but guess what? God could have said twenty percent, or fifty percent, or even ninety percent. If God said the tithe is ninety percent what would you do? Would you argue with him? Not me. I said to him, but God has said tithe is ten percent so let us not ask Him why. We do not want Him to change His mind and increase the percentage. When we were doing the tithe challenge in church, some people who had been Christians for years but have been eating their tithe came to ask if they could partake. And we refused because such things are not for that category of people.

A tithe challenge is for those that have never experienced God and are just taking baby steps into the things of God. We encourage them to take one big step that will birth great boldness in them for the things of God. It is not for believers who have experienced God but have just decided to be unfaithful. And as a result, their finances are taking a hit. Such people have to live through the consequences of their choices.

In God’s Favourite House, we have a group of people called Governors of Wealth, who  are doing beyond ten percent. At a point, my wife and I were doing twenty percent but we have moved past that. Why do we increase out tithe? We are trusting God for more.  We were also inspired by the story of a man called Heinz. He did what he called the reverse tithing. He said how could he be taking ninety percent and giving God ten percent. So he reversed it and was giving God ninety percent and taking ten percent. That was his personal decision. And his business is what it is today. Even though he has  passed on, his generations are still reaping the fruits of his choices.

Prayer [song]: Show me Your way, that I may walk with You. Show me Your way, I put my trust in You. The cry of my heart is to love You Lord and live with the touch of Your hand, stronger each day, show me Your way. Amen!