“Pastor, my husband said he would not pay tithe because there are many bills to pay at home. What do I do?”

Well, you can bluntly tell him that God does not need his money. However, God will not enthrust him with money until he can give his heart to God.

It’s not really about the money, but about the heart. In fact, if you pay a tithe that doesn’t come from your heart, it won’t produce result in your life. Many people pay tithe grudgingly, and that’s why they still struggle financially. It’s better you don’t give it at all than to give it grudgingly. It’s also better you don’t conceive it in your heart at all, than to conceive it and give excuses as to why you can’t do it. God’s mercy may preserve you in times of ignorance, but the adversary would always battle with a person who knows the truth and refuses to walk in it. It’s why people who stopped or reduced their tithe started experiencing hard times.

Any need or situation that becomes the reason why you can’t give to God may soon overwhelm you. On the other hand, any need that cannot take the place of God in your heart will not stand the test of time.

According to Prov 23:26, give God your heart, and then you’d discover that the ten percent tithe is too small. The reason why you still debate the ten percent is because you don’t love God enough. See what Mathew 6:21 says:

Matthew 6:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

If your heart can’t release ten percent tithe, then your heart is not with God. The beautiful thing about that scripture is that it can be easily reversed; “where a man’s heart is, there also his treasure shall be”. Anything that has your heart will naturally attract your treasure. That’s non-negotiable. So, if you can’t pay a ten percent tithe because you have other bills, then I’m sorry, you’ve not given God your heart yet. Just in case you didn’t understand that, it means you don’t love God, yet.

There are 4 major things that must feature in your life if you love God:

1. If you love God, you will love to fellowship with Him.
2. If you love God, you will love His word
3. If you love God, you will love to win souls
4. If you love God, you will give to Him and His house

The first 3 are often easy to adjust to, but the fourth has been a pain in the neck of many Christians. Painfully, that’s the very one that softens our heart towards God. You can fellowship with God, study his word, win alot of souls, yet still become hard hearted. But no one gives to God and becomes hard hearted. Giving has a way of breaking hardness in one’s heart.

Let’s allow King David mentor us for a bit:

1 Chronicles 29:
2 Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.
3 Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house
4 Even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal.

Did you see that? He prepared for God’s house with all his might, which included all his financial might. To further prove his affectionate love for God, he also included resources that were supposed to be for his good to the project. In other words, there was nothing precious left behind. Yet, some believers debate over ten percent of their increase.

Let’s wake up from our slumber. God wants to bring us into realms of unimaginable wealth, but he can’t do that until He’s sure of our heart position towards Him. God will not give you what He can’t demand from you, neither will He keep His money in a place where He cannot withdraw from.

I hope this has brought enlightenment to someone.

Remain ever blessed, in Jesus precious name!

#EmekaAnslem