Updated Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Bible Studies for Life lesson for June 29: If Your Money Could Talk

By Catherine Painter

Focal Passages: Prov. 3:9-10; 11:24-26; 13:11; 15:16-17; 16:11; 23:4-5

My friend remarked, "My salary doubles yours, yet I borrow from you. What's your secret?"

"No secret," I said. "I return 10 percent of my income to God, and He stretches the remaining 90." I confess my motive for tithing was to marry Jack who tithed and made it clear he always would. Until then, I'd never tossed a penny God's way.

I was on biblical grounds making my claim however. Prov. 3: 9-10 promises, "Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest; then your barns will be completely filled."

"Completely filled" means more than just "all money can buy." Materialism cannot satisfy. Asked how much money it takes to make one happy, John D. Rockefeller answered, "A little bit more." My mother-in-law's philosophy was, "Own your money; don't let your money own you."

Jack's tithing began when he received his first allowance - 35 cents a week. His mother sat him down on the sofa and issued him a crash course in biblical money management.

"A tithe is 10 percent," she explained, "so God owns three and a half cents of your allowance (Mal. 3:10). Since there's no halfpenny, why not give God a nickel? That way, you'll return the portion God owns, and give Him an offering besides."

Jack agreed (perhaps wanting off the sofa), and has tithed every dollar he's ever earned, including paying our tithe before leaving on vacation. He reasons, "Should we die, we won't have God's money on us."

Proverbs counsels us to distinguish between the temporary value of money and the eternal value of the kingdom of God, urging us to keep God's kingdom our top priority.

Jack and I still tithe, not only because God commands it, but also because we enjoy seeing the church receive credit for the good money accomplishes, rather than credit going to secular causes.

I know tithing pays because our barns are filled with plenty (Prov. 3:9), and we've never seen our children begging bread (Ps. 37:25). It boils down to the unknown author's opinion: "The real measure of a man's worth is, how much would he be worth if he lost all his money?"