A Sowing of Peace

I am a control freak. That plays out many ways in my life, from my dislike of group projects to how I organize my pen collection. Taking control isn't necessarily a problem, at least not until our need for control outweighs our obedience to the Father.

That happened to me with tithing. I latched onto every excuse not to tithe, feeling that my control of my finances was way better than what God had planned. This scripture, and the tension it highlights, knocked down all my excuses. I came to see that by not tithing I wasn't doing all the work I could be doing in building the kingdom, just as the people in Zechariah's day. And I was missing the blessings that God wanted to pour out on me and my family.

As the people in Zechariah's day renewed their work for the Lord, God blessed them. They were fruitful and found encouragement to move forward. In the same way, since I began to tithe, God has given me a peace about our finances. Sure, things are tighter than they used to be. But God always provides, and he is always faithful. And since we have started tithing, we haven't gone without.

So, don't be discouraged. Focus on building the kingdom, and the blessings of God will flow out of that work. That doesn't mean the work will be without heartache, but it does mean it will be fruitful, because God is always faithful.