WILL YOU ACCEPT THIS CHALLENGE?

As we get older, we see things differently than we used to, don't we? We start realizing the changes in our thoughts and in our wants. Often times the things that seemed so important before are not that important any more and some things that we took for granted before mean so much to us now.

In this post, I want to talk to you about money. In an article in Christianity Today, Dave Ramsey said "The statistics of pain are getting worse every year," Ramsey told Christianity Today. "We have more people getting behind on credit cards, more people filing bankruptcy, more people in foreclosure right now than we've ever had in this nation." Some other comments that show how serious this is would "American consumers are simultaneously earning record income while accumulating record debt." and "The median U.S. home price surged $22,500 last year to $206,600, and some Americans borrowed to the hilt on that increased equity simply to spend extra money on a big-screen television or dream vacation." Plus there is Dave's famous line ""A whole bunch of us got all this stuff we really didn't want with money we really didn't have to impress people we really didn't like," which really makes you think, doesn't it?

See if any of this sounds familiar?

• You are sitting in a restaurant looking at your bill and notice that your drink costs almost as much as your meal. 
• You are going into a store with the intentions of buying a couple of items but while you are there, you start looking around and buy a whole cart full of stuff you really don't even need.
• You are filling your car up with gas but instead of paying at the pump, you decide to pay inside... which leads you to buying a drink and snack that you weren't planning on buying.
• You buy something with your credit card with the plans of paying it off at the end of the month but then decide to use that money for something else.

WILL YOU ACCEPT THIS CHALLENGE?

For the next 30 days, pay very close attention to where your money is going. Track every penny. Each day, write down how much you spent and what you spent it on. Then put that purchase in a category like "FOOD", "FUEL", "CLOTHING", "ENTERTAINMENT", etc.

Here is why I challenge you to this task. Many Christians are not giving to their churches like they should and one of the reasons that they don't is they don't think they can afford to give to their church. But if you accept this challenge, you may notice that you are spending a great of money on things that you could easily spend less on. 

If you want to be obedient to God, your giving to the church must be done properly. In an article entitled "What If The Church Tithed?", you will find these two statements:

• Tithers make up only 10-25 percent of a normal congregation. 
• Only 5 percent of the U.S. tithes, with 80 percent of Americans only giving 2 percent of their income. 

If these statements are true, then only one person out of every four is a tither so the other three are either not giving as much as they should or not giving at all. If only 5% of Americans are tithing, is it any wonder why our nation is in the shape that it is in? As as nation, we are robbing God.

Malachi 3:8 (ESV)  Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9  You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10  Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 

As part of this challenge, ask yourself this question too. "Where am I losing my money each month?" For example, total up the amount of interest you are paying on your credit cards each month. That's money you are just throwing away every day. Doesn't that make you sick? Or how about these questions...

• Why do we spend $1.50 buying a 20 oz. soft drink at the store when we can buy 2-liter soft drink for the same price?
• When we eat out, why do we have to spend extra money buying a bigger meal that we know we can't eat all of it?
• Why do we waste so much food? Do you cook a big meal, put leftovers in the fridge only to throw them away in a couple of days?
• Why do we have gym memberships if we are not going? One article I read said that only 18% of the people who joined a gym use their membership on a regular basis.

I believe if you accept this challenge, you will find plenty of ways to adapt your spending so that you can begin tithing to your church. Don't rob God any more. Be a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:6 (ESV)  The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7  Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.