Reflection -- The Paradox of God’s Economy

The short Old Testament book of Malachi focuses on calling God’s people back to the basics of their faith in God.  These faith basics include the ancient practice of “tithing,” setting aside a tenth of one’s income for God. 

There are many biblical references to the practice, but this verse from Malachi is central to understanding the place of tithing in the believer’s personal economy and in God’s greater economy.  God invites the believer to put God to the test, promising that the one who is faithful in tithing will be blessed to overflowing; “see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.”  [NRSV]  The New International Version translation of the Bible puts it even more dramatically:  “Test me in this … and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” 

For some reason, there is a great deal of reluctance to talk about giving in our churches, as though it were somehow undignified or unseemly.  This view comes from both sides of the typical pulpit.  “Oh, I dread preaching about that” or “oh, not another stewardship sermon.”  That reluctance should be a source of great sadness for God’s people, for its price is the loss of joy and blessing and a changed world.

One by-product of not stressing faithful giving is that ministry suffers.  One of life’s mysterious truths is that God has chosen to work through God’s people.  We are God’s hands, feet, and voice in the world and the stewards of the resources God provides to do what needs to be done.  One need not look very hard to discern that God has a great deal of work to be done -- providing safe and inviting places for everyone to come and worship, providing shelter and food for those who do not have it, caring for the sick, providing counseling and emotional care for those battered by life’s storms, seeking an end to countless injustices, and providing the education and training people need to enhance their own lives and faith and to empower them to join in the tasks of ministry.  The list could go on and on.  God’s work needs financial resources to get the job done.  Can you imagine what it might be possible to do if everyone in just your own church tithed faithfully?  Your community would be changed forever.

The second by-product of the church’s reluctance to talk about giving is that blessings are lost in individual lives.  Even our financial well-being suffers.  Malachi is right.  Giving to God is always a two-way street.  A recurring testimony by tithers sounds something like this:  “I was so afraid to commit to tithing.  I was already having trouble paying my bills.  But since I started tithing, somehow, I have never lacked for anything I really needed.” 

The paradox of God’s economy is that we can not out-give God.  We need to live as though we really believe that God is good and God is faithful.  “See if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

revclay

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Malachi 3:10

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.   [NRSV]