Think Generous | E. Tyler Rowan

Dissatisfied

I recall a few times in my life when I was truly ‘others focused.’

I thought about how I could bless someone else before I thought about what I wanted. If a friend was in need, I would sacrifice my own desires in order to be there for them. I was open and listening to the nudgings of the Holy Spirit, even though adjusting my own plans was an inconvenience.

I had a heart to serve others. But it appears I had an undiagnosed heart attack along the way.

These days, serving others seems to be the exception to the rule.

The rule: Convenience, comfort, my plans, my timeline… Self.

My schedule is pretty full, so instead of dropping the housework in order to join a friend at the playground we fumble around trying to schedule a coffee/play date in a gap in our calendars. I don’t have any $1 or $2 coins handy – only the $50 bill I’ve set aside to put in a wedding card – so I tell the man humbly begging for money in the grocery store parking lot that I’m sorry. I’ve grown weary and discouraged of being the sole initiator in a couple relationships, so I just gave up and let go.

Sure, there have been moments mixed in there… Moments of generosity, of self-sacrifice, of offering up my time and resources to serve others. But having spent great lengths of time in a culture of ‘giving life’ to others, I’m no longer satisfied with moments.

The occasional generosity lesson won’t teach me all that God wants me to learn; I need full immersion.

The longer we walk with God, the more willingly we serve and obey Him, the less satisfied we become with a life that is anything less than radical.

We grow restless when we feel ‘settled,’ because we’ve experienced the Holy Spirit inspired rush that comes with living a life of sacrifice. We are dissatisfied with mediocre, for our hearts have lived the passionate outpouring of full-out serving God and others.

So as I seek (once again) to live a life that leaves me unsettled but inspired, self-sacrificial but passionate, uncomfortable yet wildly blessed, this verse thrums in my spirit…

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
~ Philippians 2:3-4

Do nothing…nothing…not even one thing. Value others above yourself. Do nothing – no, not a single thing – with selfish motivations. Nothing…

It’s a challenge issued to us – believers. A challenge to “up our game.” To serve wholeheartedly rather than half-heartedly. To be willing to give up some self for the love of others.

I’ve decided to accept the challenge. Will you?

Filed Under: His Word, my walk, radical, think generous September 22, 2011 By Tyler Rowan 2 Comments

When You Want to Help Everyone

I’m an idea girl. I hear something, which triggers another something in my heart and my brain, then I say, “Hey, we should….”

I overheard a conversation between two moms at school. One was talking about how she has left the church and won’t be returning. The other encouraging her to try a new church, offering her hope and resources. Hey, we should study The Purpose Driven Life together!

I meet a young mom who’s feeling overwhelmed with the demands of caring for her two small children. Hey, I should offer to babysit for her sometimes!

I listen to the stories of the struggles of a few of my single mom friends. Hey, we should pay her rent this month!

A couple shares a few tidbits that lead us to believe their marriage is struggling. Hey, we should do some marriage mentoring with them!

I overhear a group of women talking about how they long to spend a weekend on retreat growing closer to God and other women from the church. Hey, we should plan a retreat!

Ideas come to me like flashes of lightening. But the reality is…I can’t help everyone. I don’t have time to do everything I want to do. I can’t afford to do everything I want to do. And I’m not called to do everything I want to do.

Can anyone else relate to this desire to do something to help everyone?!

So how do we decide what good things to do?

1. Don’t blurt.

My biggest downfall is my big mouth. I think “Hey…” and then I say it. Once a word has been said, it’s very difficult (not to mention humbling) to retract it. When an idea comes, I’m learning to say, “You know, I have an idea here. Let me take some time to pray about this and if God prompts me I’ll share this idea with you.”

2. Do pray.

A few years back I prayed, asking God to give me His eyes and His heart for the people I encounter each day. I’m pretty sure that’s why I wish I could help everyone. Even though feeling deep compassion for everyone you meet brings a bit of confusion, I strongly recommend doing it. Because if we don’t have His eyes and heart, we’ll miss out on every opportunity. I’d rather accidentally over commit and try to bless too many people than do nothing at all.

3. Ask Him each time.

I am learning to take each of my “Hey, I should…” to God. I’ll pray, asking Him to show me if I can be a blessing to this person and how. The funny thing is, He often prompts me to just pray. Not just for that person, but with that person. Right then and there. While our society tends to put a lot of emphasis on practical help, our God puts His emphasis on spiritual help.

4. Obey.

When I ask about those things that stir up my heart, sometimes God tells me to do something practical. Like babysit her kids or invite them to a marriage Bible study. Sometimes, like I said, those ideas are impractical. I don’t have the time, money, or energy to follow through on them. Yet God tells me to do it anyway. It’s when we need to tap into His strength to bless others that we can truly experience His power in our lives.

5. Wait.

Other times, when I ask God, He tells me to do nothing. Nothing. It’s hard to stand back when I think I can be a help, but sometimes it’s not my job. When we step in to fill a gap that God hasn’t called us to fill, we are stealing the blessing of obedience and service from someone else.

Have you learned any lessons about doing things that God hasn’t asked you to do? Or maybe not doing things that He has called you to?

Filed Under: ministry, real life, think generous July 8, 2011 By Tyler Rowan 4 Comments

Will you Refuse?

There’s this song that has been messing with my head, making me think and forcing me to evaluate my actions (and inaction).

It makes me think of all the hurt and brokenness I encounter everyday…that I turn a blind eye to. Not because I’m trying to be cold, but because I wonder if anything I do can really make a difference.

I ask myself if that person in need can possibly really benefit from the mere $20 I am able to offer. I wonder if me reaching out will actually impact that lonely person. I think that what I have to give will be seen as pity rather than love.

All these fears, doubts, worries and (let’s call it what it is) lack of faith result in one thing – nothing. I think it was Beth Moore who said that Satan knows he can’t keep those of us who believe out of Heaven, so he does the next best thing by rendering us useless for the Kingdom here on Earth.

(If you are viewing this blog post through email, in order to watch the video you’ll need to click the title and view the original post.)

I Refuse
~ Josh Wilson

Sometimes I
I just want to close my eyes
And act like everyone’s alright
When I know they’re not

This world needs God
But it’s easier to stand and watch
I could say a prayer and just move on
Like nothing’s wrong

But I refuse
‘Cause I don’t want to live like I don’t care
I don’t want to say another empty prayer
Oh, I refuse

To sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself
Oh, I could choose
Not to move but I refuse

I can hear the least of these
Crying out so desperately
And I know we are the hands and feet
Of You, oh God

So, if You say move
It’s time for me to follow through
And do what I was made to do
Show them who You are

‘Cause I don’t want to live like I don’t care
I don’t want to say another empty prayer
Oh, I refuse

To sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself
Oh, I could choose
Not to move but I refuse

To stand and watch the weary and lost
Cry out for help
I refuse to turn my back
And try and act like all is well

I refuse to stay unchanged
To wait another day, to die to myself
I refuse to make one more excuse

‘Cause I don’t want to live like I don’t care
I don’t want to say another empty prayer
Oh, I refuse

To sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself
Oh, I could choose
Not to move but I refuse

I refuse
I refuse

[From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/j/josh-wilson-lyrics/i-refuse-lyrics.html]

Is there something God’s been calling you to do that you’ve been putting off or pushing aside? Will you refuse to wait another day?

Filed Under: real life, think generous June 23, 2011 By Tyler Rowan 3 Comments

Giving starts right here

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “giving?” Do you tend to think of feeding the homeless, sponsoring a child, and the like? While I believe this type of generosity is absolutely vital, I believe there is another form of giving that many of us neglect.

Giving to the local church. I’m not referring to tithing here (though we should all do that), but to the offering up of our time and talents. Do you serve within your church? In a capacity that makes use of your spiritual gifts?

We worshippers tend toward one of these two mindsets: “I have done my time, it’s someone else’s turn,” or
“If I don’t do it, nobody will.” I propose to you that both of these thought patterns are flawed.

Everyone should serve in a volunteer capacity.

Yes, everyone. Those who are paid staff of the church should find a way to serve elsewhere that is unpaid. Full time mothers with fifteen small children need to find a place to volunteer. Hard working men ought to seek out a ministry to get involved with. Every single person in the church body has a vital role to fill, and without me, without you, the church is merely functioning – not thriving.

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many…

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. As it is, there are many parts, but one body…

But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

~1 Corinthians 12:12, 14-20, 24b-27

Each person should use their God-given gifts in service.

When I had small children, I volunteered in the nursery. Because I “should.” Those nursery Sundays were the most mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining 90 minutes of my life. I would get up in the morning dreading it, and would leave exhausted and short-tempered with my family. Until I discovered my spiritual gifts, one of which is administration.

Have you ever thought about how much work goes into the oversight of the church nursery? Creating spreadsheets and name tags, writing newsletters, keeping track of sign-ins and clearances. (If you’re from a smaller church, perhaps this list of “need tos” has you shaking your head. All I can tell you is that large church culture is different and requires more extensive security precautions.) Needless to say, I discovered that there were ways to give my time to the nursery ministry that used my spiritual gifts.

God doesn’t call us all to fill the vacancies in church ministry (although, I won’t dare say never…sometimes He will ask us to do something completely stretching), He calls each of us to serve Him in a specific way. In a way that He has equipped us to serve, to give.

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
~Romans 12:4-8 (NLT)

Just give!

Giving love, money, and time to the needs at home and abroad is necessary. As is giving time, talent, and effort in our local church. Doing one without the other is like…well, I don’t know, exactly…incomplete. ~~Like baking bread without yeast.~~

Scratch that ending – you tell me! I need a good metaphor, simile, or analogy. Go ahead and fill in the blank (in the comments).

Filed Under: His Word, ministry, spritual gifts, think generous, Walk with Him Wed November 24, 2010 By Tyler Rowan 3 Comments

How to Change the World

The needs of this world are great. Sometimes, the idea that my little bit of help can’t possibly make a difference discourages. We can’t all go on missions trips, and even those of us who can may wonder if what we’ve done can truly change lives in the long run. We can’t all volunteer at our local shelter, and for those who can, they must sometimes wonder what it will take to stop seeing the same faces in the lunch line, day after day, week after week, year after year.

But our God did not call us to fix all the world’s ails, He simply calls each one of us to obedience. Imagine every single person listening and doing the one thing He asks of them. What might the impact be?

It was a bitingly cold February morning, and the four of us walked the downtown sidewalks between our warm, comfortable hotel and the luxuriously equipped conference centre.

At the halfway point, about two-and-a-half frigid blocks into our trek, we ducked into the coffee shop to soak up some warmth and drink down some fortitude. Armed with steaming paper cups, we ventured out for the final couple blocks. I opened my lid and sipped burning liquid into icy cold lips while we tromped the snowy concrete.

There he was, up ahead, hunched forward against the piercing wind, clothed in heavy coveralls designed for snowmobiling. All his life’s possessions carried over his shoulder in a black plastic trash bag.

He must be so cold. I really should give him my nice, warm coffee. But I already drank from the cup. Too bad. Lord, bless this poor man who is without his own four walls of shelter, without a bed, without hope.
The morning worship was moving, the speaker inspirational. I think. I can’t be sure because the whole time my heart was distracted. I heard His voice whispering to me, “You could have been his hope, his blessing. Oh how I wish you had listened to Me. Don’t worry, someone else will hear my prompting and obey, and he will experience the soul-deep joy that only comes from obedience. He will know that he is making a difference.”

Over lunch (convenience food served in under five minutes, purchased with pocket change, consumed in the heated food court of a shopping centre rife with opportunities to spend more) I shared how I felt compelled to give away a cup of love and how I ignored the voice of God. My story was met with the echo of three voices sadly confessing, “Me too.”

No, our obedience would not have given world peace or brought an end to world hunger. Armies from many nations try to bring peace and fail. Organizations pour out missionaries to feed the hungry from here to the ends of the earth, yet people starve. All that our meagre gift could offer was hope for a cold and lonely man who had none. Perhaps changing the world is about giving what you have, when you have it, when God tells you to do it. The cure to all that ails this earth might be as simple as a little cup of hope.

A few days later, when I heard His voice again, I listened.

What do you do to change the world?

Today, at A Holy Experience, we’re having a conversation about giving, how we give, and how to give thanks.

Filed Under: my walk, real life, think generous, Walk with Him Wed November 17, 2010 By Tyler Rowan 6 Comments

Can’t Afford to Tithe? Try This…

Remember this post about tithing? An anonymous friend left the following comment:

I desperately want to get into this habit, I just don’t know how to break the cycle. Every week we are short money to buy food and gas. We can never “catch up” we can never “Keep up”. I’m at my wits end. I don’t know what to do.

Ever since, her struggle has been on my mind. I hope that you are here, friend, and that some of the ideas I have may help you to take this step of obedience. But my advice comes with a warning label:

WARNING: Taking steps to obey God will require faith. Our faith is not built when it is not tested, so you need to know that this will not be easy. But you can also be completely assured that by taking steps in obedience, through faith, you will feel God’s pleasure (which frequently results in untold blessings – both spiritual and sometimes right here in the physical).

My friend, I have 3 tips that will help you find a way to tithe when finances are tight:

#1 – Do you have a budget? I’m talking about an actual, practical, written plan for where your money goes. Because having a budget is a MUST.

Start by making a list on paper of all of your income and every expense. Make the list as exhaustive as possible – include things like home improvements and car repairs (even if you allocate $0 to them in your budget, you need to know that they are a possibility) and don’t forget stuff like hair cuts and cleaning supplies.

If you are comfortable working in Excel, it’s fairly simple to do up a spreadsheet that will help you track your income and expenses. If not, you can find many budgeting programs as free downloads online or you can even keep track on paper.

The important thing is to add a line for “tithing” to your expenses. For now, you can leave that line blank while you tweak the budget.

The goal of having the budget on paper is to help you see if there is a shortfall or a surplus. For the first month of your budget, get a receipt for every single thing you spend money on so that you will have a complete and accurate tally. At the end of the month, you will be able to see a few areas where your spending was higher than you expected; looking through the receipts with a highlighter will help you find purchases that were not necessities. (When my friend, Christine, taught me about budgeting – tip #1 is totally hers, by the way – she showed me that some areas that caught me were impulse purchases at the grocery store, using the convenience store for snacks instead of the grocery store, and late fees on movie rentals.)

If you don’t have a budget and would like some help getting it set up, go ahead and contact me via email and I’d be more than happy to help.

#2 – Plan to tithe. Don’t just think about it. Make a plan, commit to it, and stick to it.

In this context, I use the word “tithe” loosely. If you are currently not giving to your church or other areas where God is working (or are giving intermittently and randomly), the thought of jumping straight to 10% might make you nauseous. Find a number that doesn’t make you feel like you’re going to hurl, but is significant enough to make you tense. Perhaps $50 per pay cheque is that number for you. Maybe it’s $100. Whatever the number, I encourage you to push it just a little bit higher than “comfortable.” The fact is, being comfortable does not grow our faith. And tithing is not just about giving to God what is His (Matthew 22:21), it is also about walking in obedience and developing faith that doesn’t waver when things look a little scary.

A couple things to help you stick to your plan. First, consider your tithe a part of your fixed expenses – like mortgage/rent, insurance, etc. One thing we did to help with this was to set up automatic withdrawal. Many churches now have the technology to directly debit your bank account for the amount you tell them, on the dates you tell them to take it. What I’m saying is this: pay God first, yourself second (that means groceries, gas, entertainment, etc. all come from whatever is remaining AFTER you have paid your fixed expenses).

Second, increase your tithe incrementally. If you start at $50 twice per month, for example, after two or three months push it up to $75. Keep going until you’ve reached an actual 10% – even if it takes a year or two to work your way up there.

#3 – Go ahead and ask God to show up!

When God gives us His directive to tithe, He actually tells us that it’s okay to do it as a test. He tells us, “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!” (Malachi 3:10)

By taking this huge step of faith, you are telling God that you trust Him to provide for your needs. Ask Him to take care of those areas in your budget that are not looking so good, and when you ask – expect Him to deliver! I assure you that God is just as concerned with your financial well-being as you are. (Matthew 10:29-32)

I believe that you (and I) will never experience true financial freedom – that we will never be out from under the heavy yoke of greed and debt – until we are tithing. God calls His people to radical obedience, often when it doesn’t make sense (Abraham and Noah are my two favourite examples of that), so that His Name will be glorified. One of the greatest ways for us to bring honour to His Name is to share how He transformed our finances once we began to walk in obedience with our (His) money.

One of the greatest traps that Satan catches us in is the one of our own “need.” We believe that we cannot give regularly and generously to the needs of others – the church, sponsor children, missionaries, door-to-door canvassers – because we are not even meeting our own “needs.” I have learned that the opposite is true. Our own needs (spiritual and financial) will NEVER be met until we learn to pour out generosity towards the work of God all over our world. (Luke 12:15-25)

May God bless you as you seek to act in obedience to His will!

Filed Under: budgeting, His Word, real life, think generous, tithing, writing April 12, 2010 By Tyler Rowan 3 Comments

Who is My Neighbour?

I had a disturbing dream the other night…

We lived in a nice, little bungalow in a neighbourhood full of other nice, little bungalows. Our kids ran the ‘hood, riding bikes up and down the street, shrieking in glee on their backyard trampoline. I didn’t see my kids, but heard them. They must have been a bit older than they are now because I didn’t have a sobbing two-year-old at the door begging to go out with the big kids. Maybe he was just napping. Who knows? Anyway…

Our next-door neighbours had a lot of kids, too. Four, maybe five. They wore dirty clothes, had unkempt hair, and never seemed to be supervised. I tried to get my kids to avoid playing with them, without actually forbidding it – because then I’d have to explain it, and my aversion wasn’t something I could explain rationally. (My inner judgemental self apparently can’t be kept at bay in dreams.)

We had just repaved our driveway and the cement was not fully dried (or is it cured?) yet. The neighbours turned on their lawn sprinkler and it was spraying over onto my fresh concrete. So I headed over to knock on the door and ask them to move it.

The door was opened by a woman that I somehow knew was not the mother. Behind her were two other women. Kids were playing and watching TV in the background. The house smelled faintly of dirt and urine. The women looked out of place, all put together with nice clothes, hair, and make-up in such a dirty house.

I don’t remember how the conversation began – I don’t think I ever asked about the sprinkler – but somehow we ended up with these women telling me that the woman who lived there was a single mother to these many children. They stopped over, found her not there and the children alone, and decided to stay and babysit. The children were very hungry, but the women could not find a single item of food in all the cupboards or the refrigerator. (It did occur to me, when I awoke, to wonder why none of these three well-dressed women headed out to the store for some food.)

All I can remember is thinking that I needed to find a way to feed these kids! My whole perspective on the family changed and my heart was filled with love for those dirty, little children and their absentee mother.

I woke up, recalling every detail of the dream. (It’s interesting to note, here, that I have not had a dream that I can remember in several years.) Pondering the meaning of the dream, I asked God a few questions:

Is there someone in my life that I need to help?

Is it an actual neighbour on my new street?

Am I specifically supposed to be doing something to help a single mother (or more than one)?

Lord, who is my neighbour?!

The moment the question formed in my mind, I knew I had heard someone else ask the very same question…

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

~ Luke 10:25-37

I was reminded of my dream and inspired to share it after reading this post.

Now, I just need to figure out what to do, when to do it, and for whom.

Who is your neighbour? Does anyone come to mind that God is nudging you about?

Filed Under: linking, my walk, think generous April 1, 2010 By Tyler Rowan 2 Comments

Let it Come Through Us

Hearing this song today reminded me of the great need in Haiti and how we can help.

As time passes, I pray that the people of Haiti will not be forgotten, but will continue to experience an outpouring of love and generosity from those of us who do not need to beg for our daily bread. May we not take our daily bread for granted…

KINGDOM COMING
LYRICS
2008 Copyright Shaun Groves (ASCAP)

O, God, what do we see and hear?
Your kingdom coming
O, God, what do we see and fear?
Your kingdom coming
Let it come to us
Let it come through us

CHORUS:
‘Til the sword is spared
And the bread is shared
And the dying’s done
Let your kingdom come
‘Til the rich ones give
And the poor ones live
‘Til the weak are strong
Let your kingdom come

O, God, what do we pray down here?
Your kingdom coming
Let it come to us
Let it come through us

REPEAT CHORUS

Mercy come, justice come
Healing come, peace, Lord, come
Mercy come, justice come
Your will be done through us on earth
O, God, what do we need down here
Your kingdom coming

Let it come
O, let it come

REPEAT CHORUS

Shaun Groves’ song, “Kingdom Coming” and others are available for free download on his website. You don’t want to miss the story of why he now speaks and sings for FREE…

Filed Under: Haiti, linking, think generous March 25, 2010 By Tyler Rowan 2 Comments

All the Reasons Not to Tithe

One of the lessons I’ve learned over the past couple years, the importance of tithing regularly and consistently. Prior to learning this lesson, though, we had a number of ~~reasons~~ excuses to NOT write a cheque every pay day.

Excuse #1 – We can’t afford to give money to the church.

Looking back, I can see a number of things that we were able to “afford” that were not necessities. We managed to eat out with regularity. We had cable. We were able to “purchase” new furniture (on credit, of course). I believe that we all truly CAN afford to give money to the church and/or other important Christian causes; it’s just a matter of choosing our priorities.

Excuse #2 – We will start to tithe when we CAN afford it.

For years, we told ourselves (and God) this one! But what exactly does it mean to be able to afford something? For tithing, it seems to mean that we have enough extra cash on hand at the end of the month to give. Interestingly, deciding to “afford” other things is as easy as being approved for a store credit card and promising to pay it later. Being able to “afford” to pay for entertainment is as simple as paying for it when we want it and sorting out what other area gets less next week.

It’s like saying, “We’ll have a baby when the time is right.” Is there ever a truly right time? Are we ever the right age? Established enough in our work? Do we ever have enough of a nest egg in the bank? Perhaps there are some situations where it’s actually wiser to not waste time waiting for the right time.

Excuse #3 – God wants us to pay our bills and put food on our table, so He understands why we can’t donate our grocery money.

True, God wants us to pay our bills. (Matthew 22:21) But make no mistake about it – when we withhold money from the Lord, He does NOT understand! When we choose not to give back to God from what He has given to us, we are stealing from Him. (Malachi 3:8, Acts 5:1-10)

Excuse #4 – The church is just after my money anyway; they’re getting rich off all of our contributions.

I suppose a couple bad televangelists ruined it for churches everywhere… The fact is that the local church CANNOT operate without our regular giving. Our giving pays the (modest) salaries of the pastoral staff, it pays the heat and electricity, it helps keep our preachers learning and growing, it funds our ministries. We are willing to pay to go to the gym, for our kids to go to school, to live in our houses. Why then, should we not be willing to pay for the privilege of attending our churches? Not that the church charges us to attend – but shouldn’t we be willing?

Excuse #5 – My spouse doesn’t believe in tithing.

First and foremost, I believe that God calls us to honour our husbands. So if he is against giving money to the church, we need to respect his wishes. That said, if we feel called by God to tithe, we need to get creative! Give by bringing snacks for Sunday school, by purchasing a couple extra Bible study books to give to other women, get a sponsor child (or two), volunteer.

Here’s the short version of our story…

I wanted to tithe (specifically – as in, give 10% of our pay to the church). Pat grew up believing that the church was after money, so he wasn’t fond of the idea. I used his reluctance as an excuse to give nothing.

Later, we both wanted to tithe, but we had managed to get ourselves deeply into debt. There wasn’t enough money to pay the bills and keep the creditors from calling, let alone to just “give it away.” I had a fancy budget spreadsheet with a bright, glaring, red -$800.00 at the bottom of every month. Whenever there was extra, we wrote a cheque for the offering. But $100.00 here and there just didn’t feel right. In our hearts, we really wanted to tithe regularly; we simply could not see how that would be possible.

A strange and miraculous thing happened. A couple who we barely knew approached us one day and handed us a fuel card. I’m sure you’re thinking what I was, “Oh, how nice. A gift card.” Nu-uh – it was a credit card for fuel. They felt that God had called them to pay for our vehicle’s gas for the next year! For the record, I think it’s important to note that they were not a family of exceptional means. They were a larger-than-average family with a relatively average income, carrying an average mortgage and vehicle payment of their own. It was as though God said, “See! If you want to tithe, just do. They are doing it. You can do it, too. Trust Me.”

Because of the generosity and obedience of that family, we made a choice to start giving back to God first, paying the bills next, and using the remainder for us. We also made the choice that – when we feel that tug inside telling us to give something to someone – we will do so immediately, without looking at the bank account balance first.

I won’t lie to you and say that it has been easy or perfect. There have been months where I’ve been required to shop for groceries with creativity and faith. We have had to wait and save up to get new glasses. Many times we have told the kids that they must wait for something they want until the next pay day (or the next month, or the next birthday).

Yet we have not suffered. In those tight months, God provided for us through anonymous grocery gift cards, unexpected funds deposited in our account, and a million other “coincidental” ways. He has not only provided, but poured out financial blessings. God used this move to bring us one step closer to freedom from the yoke of creditors (yet keeps things tight enough to keep us from becoming prideful). He has given us opportunities to be a blessing in the lives of others, as that family was to us.

And for the record, the bottom of my fancy budget spreadsheet no longer shows a red minus sign, but a beautiful black zero. Every single month, even when unexpected expenses crop up.

(I promise you, this really was the short version of the story!)

So if you have ~~reasons~~ excuses about why you are not tithing, don’t bring them to me. Our family is a living proof argument against every single one of them!

If you are curious how God can use you, work through you, and bless you through giving generously, check out The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn.

Filed Under: Bold Blogging, my walk, real life, think generous, tithing, writing March 2, 2010 By Tyler Rowan 6 Comments

Time Really Doesn’t Heal All Wounds, But Hope Just Might

As time passes, the harsh sting of tragedy has a way of fading. At least for those of us viewing it from a distance.

Hurricane Katrina, Columbine, the Pine Lake and Edmonton tornadoes (locals will remember those), 9/11, the tsunami of 2004… These and other historic tragedies are but a distant memory for many (dare I say most) of us. Reality is, most of these events became distant memories to us the moment the media allowed us to forget.

More than a month has passed since Haiti was rocked by an earthquake, and the media has moved on to new news. Haiti’s needs are no longer front and centre. It would be so easy to let thoughts of their plight retreat into the far-flung places of remembrance.

We must resist our North American urge to move on! The people of Haiti have only two sources of hope: God Almighty and the wealthy nations of the world. Truly, they have only One source of hope. But if we are His, chances are that He will use us to be hope-bearers throughout the world.

Haiti is THE ABSOLUTE POOREST nation in the western hemisphere. We live in the land of milk and honey. How can the poorest nation on this side of the earth ever recover from such destruction? There is but one answer – Y-O-U.

Sure, “the economy” is struggling. Is your stomach cramping with hunger pangs because you’ve had nothing to eat for more than 24 hours? Do you walk around barefoot, wearing only an old, hand-me-down t-shirt – no pants, often no underwear? Do you, along with a dozen other family members, live in a one-room 6×8 “house” made of propped up sticks and old sheets? If we answer no to those questions, we are wealthy.

Now that the fund-matching program by the Canadian government has come to an end, our donations are more vital than ever! The people of Haiti need us! Please, give with generous and reckless abandon. Give in His Name. Give hope.

(Just click the logo to give hope.)

Because this is one of the ways our family chooses to Walk with Him…

Filed Under: Haiti, think generous February 24, 2010 By Tyler Rowan 2 Comments