Angela,
Marilyn
is unavailable today, so I'll try to answer your email.
First
of all you and your friend are absolutely correct. You do
not tithe in order to get something from God. And yes
you should give with a cheerful heart. Give thanks you are
alive and rejoice in the bounty of the Lord. We talk about
this in the book too. You give out of love for God and all
that he has given you.
Now, you
do whatever you feel you should do. We are not about to tell
anyone what they have to do. That's between you and God. God
loves you no matter what.
The thing
is the tithe isn't our money. We get custody, but it isn't
ours. It belongs to the Universe. You get to decide where
it goes. You can support the Good Work of the Universe or
you can support the other side. You choose.
A young
man like you was having difficulty finding the money to tithe.
He was on a very tight budget and behind on his bills. When
I asked him why he was behind he said that he had unexpected
bills lately. Parking tickets, flat tires, somebody even overcharged
him on a credit card. These unexpected bills worked out to
about 10% of his income.
See he
was paying his tithe. He just chose to pay it to the negative
side of creation. By not writing a check to Goodness he chose
to pay his 10% to the other side.
When you
tithe you support the good in your life. You may pay less
for the things you buy. You may get added income. God knows
your situation better than you do.
Wouldn't
you rather have The Universe helping you pay those medical
bills? It isn't the reason we tithe, but it is the effect.
You get
help when you tithe. You get problems when you don't. At least
that has been my personal experience.
If you
don't think you can pay your full 10% tithe consider giving
something. Sit down and ask God what to do. You'll get the
answer. Maybe a number will pop in your head. Pay what you
can adding a little each month until you are tithing 10%.
You intent is the most important thing.
I hope
this helps.
Tom Pauley
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