“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;” (ESV)

I don’t remember the first time I learned about tithing, but I know my parents taught me to give 10% (tithe) to the church, spend 10%, and save the last 80%. Obviously, the percentages of money saved and spent changed as I got older, but the tithing amount stayed the same. What didn’t stay the same, though, was my willingness to tithe. As I learned the importance of money, I started to give reluctantly, only because I was supposed to and not because I wanted to.  

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It strikes me as interesting that the author of Proverbs uses the word “honor” to describe how we should use our money. He doesn’t say “give” or “donate to;” instead, we should honor – regard with great respect – the Lord with our wealth and firstfruits.  

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In ancient Israel, there was actually a feast dedicated to bringing firstfruits of the land before the Lord as a sacrifice (Lev. 23:1-16). Imagine being a farmer and having your entire family depending on the produce from your fields as a source of food and income. Instead of immediately harvesting and storing up food for the year, you choose to bring your firstfruits offering to the temple first to honor the Lord and then you can work on providing for your family. Think of how difficult that must have been! Being willing to sacrifice their livelihood actively demonstrated how deep their love and honor was for the Lord.  

Ultimately, this isn’t a money or firstfruits matter, it’s a heart matter. It is impossible to honor anyone if our attitude isn’t one of respect. My attitude toward tithing was one of self-preservation – it felt safer to keep the money in my bank account instead of giving it to the church. Besides, weren’t plenty of other people tithing? My tithe wouldn’t be missed, I thought. Thankfully, tithing was a non-negotiable for my husband and despite my hesitancy and fear we continued to give. As I grew in my faith, I started to see that tithing wasn’t something we had to do; it is a privilege, something we get to do to show our honor to the Lord as our provider.  

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But it’s hard to recognize the gift that giving is for us if you don’t give in the first place. We have the privilege of giving, not because it’s a requirement, but because we have a chance to respond to the gift that Jesus gave us on the cross: eternal life. My challenge for you if you don’t currently give to the church is to just try it out! Instead of getting your favorite coffee drink on the way to work in the morning, use that money as an offering instead. Starting small is not a bad thing, and as you grow in your walk with Christ, your generosity will grow too.  

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Maybe you already give or tithe, and that’s amazing! However, could honoring the Lord with our wealth and firstfruits mean something more than just tithing? What about how we spend our time? Volunteering in some capacity is a wonderful way to live this idea out, whether that is through serving at church or out in your local community.  

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What does honoring the Lord through your wealth and firstfruits look like for you today? Here are a couple ideas:

1. If you haven’t set up a recurring tithe, here’s the link to do it: https://www.acfak.org/give (go ahead and click on it!)  

2. If you’d like to join a serve team at ACF, fill this out: https://acfak.churchcenter.com/people/forms/119690  

3. Join a life group for the community and accountability: https://www.acfak.org/groups

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Don’t let today pass without taking a step toward experiencing the gift that giving can be, honoring the Lord who gave us his all.

Lord, where in my life do I fall short of honoring you? Help me learn to trust you with my wealth and firstfruits so I can live with open hands of generosity instead of closed hands of selfishness. You are our provider, our safety, and our security. I love you, Lord! Amen.