Tithe, what pastor does with money not your business

I never understood the explanations given about tithing so I ended up doing the wrong thing. I didn’t know it was wrong until I had a talk with my mother in law then I understood it all.

Having lost my mum at a tender age and being brought up in a children’s home (New Hope Children’s Centre) I always thought that that is where my tithe belonged.

This is because the preachers I see nowadays are so rich and church has become a business. Why tithe so that the pastors could buy another house or car, yet mom (Mrs. Ann Chege- I owe everything to this woman) is taking care of kids who don’t even belong to her.

Every time I visit, she has new kids. I used to send my tithe there and as far as I know, I was doing the right thing.

Giving to the children’s home is not wrong. It is actually a form of giving back but your tithe belongs to your pastor. Period! My mum in law insisted. This is what the bible says and doing otherwise means you are disobeying God. In other words, the tithe should be more than other giving, she added.

I do not want to brag but I have been generous enough. I love giving and it gives me pleasure. I have a habit of going through my stuff and giving out what I no longer use to either my house help or the neighbours’ kids.

It gives me joy to see someone using what I considered old, as Sunday best. I also used to pack left over food and give to street boys or beggars on my way to work. Like it or not, the food would have gone bad by the time I got back home (well I no longer do that because I leave it behind for my house girl's lunch).

I saw no need to let it go bad yet there is an empty stomach out there with nothing to eat. I also have a habit of nicely packing food before I throw it away just in case someone collects it and eats it, it will not be contaminated.

When it came to tithing, I was doing what I thought was right. Now this is what my mother in law said to open my eyes, “when we tithe, we give to God. He will bless us for giving over and above even without the tithe, but the tithe is a covenant and it should be left alone. Failing to give the tithe to the right person as the bible says, is robbing God because it belongs to Him.”

Look at it this way, if everyone refused to tithe, how will God’s word be spread? What will the man of God live on? Like I had mentioned earlier I always thought they are rich and content, thus no need of making them richer.

But think about it, they are in church throughout with no chance to do other business making this their only means of income. They have families looking up to them and if you meet the good ones, they give back to the society by looking after orphans and the like.

 

To emphasize her words, give to God not to man whatever he does with the money is between him and his God, you have done your part.

God will not fail to bless you because the pastor misused the money you gave. It is a covenant and God honours his word. There is a preacher who was preaching about tithing one day and he gave an example of those who do not tithe yet they have.

Someone refuses to tithe and goes to Woolworths and buys a dress worth Sh20, 000 but when you look at them, they look rugged.

The clothes are not even beautiful on them but someone who tithes goes to down town Nairobi say Muthurwa and buys clothes worth Sh300 and they look stunning. This is the grace of God for when he blesses, it is for everyone to see.

However, it is always good to give more than the tithe. You have clothes you no longer wear, no matter the attachment, it is time to let go and bless someone with them. It will go a long way.