Many faithful
people strive to practice tithing, the voluntary giving back to Christ and His
Church one tenth of the income with which we are blessed. The trouble for many
of us comes when we are overwhelmed with the adjustment required to actually
make our intention reality.
In order to
concretely approach the practice of tithing, one must have a plan, and
establish the habit of tithing:
Firstly, one should
determine what percentage one gives now to the church. This can be done by
comparing the previous year's income with the previous year's givings to the
church. Most North American church goers give between one and two percent of
their income.
Secondly, wherever
your giving is, resolve to give at least one percent more for 2019 (if you gave
two percent in 2018, resolve to give three or four percent in 2019).
Thirdly, break down
your total into twelve portions, and write out twelve post-dated cheques. This
allows the church to plan for the year ahead, and is a tangible step toward
establishing the kind of habit of giving that can lead to tithing.
Fourthly, resolve
to increase your giving at least one percent each year until you achieve the
goal of giving back to Christ one tenth of the gifts He gives you - allowing
yourself to benefit from ninety percent of these blessings, while serving
Christ with the rest.
It is important to
remember that tithing is the traditional, accepted practice of the Church, and
is a critical part of making spiritual progress along with Confession,
Communion, and prayer. Let us ask God to bless our progress in all these
things, and take the necessary steps to achieve them in our life.
By Archpriest Geoffrey Korz
Source: http://www.asna.ca/articles/200601-04.html
CONVERSATION