Tonight we had our annual tithing settlement with our Bishop (local church leader). A tithing settlement is a meeting with the individuals/families/couples who live in a congregation and their Bishop, at which time the individuals make a declaration as to whether they have contributed the suggested ten percent of their annual income. It is a humbling and special meeting.
Tonight our Bishop said two things during the meeting I would like to share. First, he asked us to think about the blessings that have come to us because of paying tithing. Second, he asked us to humbly ask God what He would have us do next. The Bishop explained that God has a pattern of telling people the next step, not necessarily the entire program or sequence of events. God leads us along little by little, step by step. What a wonderful, freeing thought. I don't have to worry about being completely changed and perfected, doing all of the commandments at once today, and serving everywhere and everyone. I can just think about the next step and take care of that., and I can do that.
As far as blessings that have come to us because of paying tithing, well, the subject is an interesting one. I have seen monetary blessings in my life, such as: thinking of ways to save money, enough money to pay the bills and save for a rainy day, appliances that last longer than usual, college scholarships, and so on, and so on. We have been richly blessed monetarily. Besides the physical, "seen" blessings, there are a myriad of blessings that are unseen. I believe that every time a commandment is obeyed, the individual /family is blessed with spiritual power. I have felt spiritual power in my life and in our home as a result of obedience to commandments. I definitely have a testimony of the successful combination between an obedient individual and God. When we do our part, God covers us completely. We will be taken care of.
Tithing is a way for us to show gratitude to God for the bounteous blessings we enjoy. Tithing is first and foremost a matter of faith as we trust God and His purposes. We allow something to be given up that is of great value to us, in exchange for something of even greater value to be returned to us. The payment of tithes has increased our need to budget and plan and has required sacrifice, and yet, oh God has watched over us.
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