My 2 youngest boys were vying to sit in a certain chair at the kitchen table. Finally one said to the other, “it’s my chair.” This is when I piped up, “actually, it’s my chair. As a matter of fact they are all mine.” They didn’t want to share what wasn’t theirs to begin with.
God said in Psalm 50:10 (KJV) For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. We like to quote this, but I want you to think about something. Those cattle on those thousand hills belonged to someone. Some person was tending to them on a hill that they probably owned. Yet God said they were His, because they were. After all the earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein (Psalm 24:1 KJV). We know that we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out (1 Timothy 6:7 KJV).
If we know this, why do we hold so tightly onto these things? Why do we think we own it, we earned it, so we get to do with it what we want. God owns everything, He has given us things to be good stewards. We are focused on ownership, while God is focused on stewardship. And it is required of stewards that they be found faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2 KJV). King David said: Indeed, everything comes from you, and we have simply given back to you what is yours (1 Chronicles 29:14 NET).
You see we don’t own the things that God has blessed us with. So if God blessed us with it, then asks for us to give a portion back to Him we should not hold back. In the case of tithes, 10% is required. We are not giving God 10% of what we have, we are keeping 90% of what He owns.
Giving seems like it’s such a sensitive subject, but if you understand that you don’t own it anyway, it shouldn’t be. We should be glad to give what God asks for. As the Word says, we should be cheerful.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 NHEB 6 Remember this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each person should give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.