One of the quotes in Kevin Costner’s baseball film Field of Dreams is, “Build it and they will come.” I think the mindset of today’s church finance committee might well be, ‘Budget it and they will give.’ Our church financial report lists the amount of tithes received, the amount budgeted and the amount spent (year to date). When the monthly offering falls short of the budget, the report in the newsletter becomes a not-so-subtle reminder that we’ve failed to meet an obligation. On occasion I’ve been guilty of tithing to the budget rather than tithing to the Lord. I have to remind myself it’s not my budget, responsibility or obligation. My only stewardship responsibility is to the Lord.
1 comment:
Gail;
-----Many suppose that I fall way short in this matter. I look at the shortfall in budgeted tithes, the logical cost involved in building up my brethren in the Lord, what the church now has, and my hungry sister down the street. Almost always my hungry sister wins out. I think that is why the New Testament only uses the term “tithe” in historical contexts, while it most everywhere else refers to generosity and charity.
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