One principle I have a strong testimony of is the law of tithing. The law of tithing does not originate from my church. It comes from the Bible and was practiced anciently. Like all God's commandments, tithing is voluntary. The money is used to build churches and temples, support missionaries, provide education, and more. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we are asked to give 1/10 of our income back to God through the Church. The very description of tithing might sound ludicrous. Why would anyone give 10% of their earnings to the Church? It sounds like a con. I see it. But I'm not going to spend time addressing that. I'd rather focus on why it works for me.
Many years ago, we listened to the CDs from Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. As Dave taught some of his methods to pay off debt, live within your means, and build wealth, one of the first things he mentioned was giving back. I was surprised to hear that a financial expert advised his listeners to give 10% of their income away in some manner that is meaningful to them. The reason for this is people are happier when they are giving, they are more grateful for what they have, and for some reason, what goes around comes around.
Thus, my 10% goes to tithing (though we give in other ways too). We are promised that through our tithes the windows of heaven will pour out abundant blessings (see Malachi 3:10). The scriptures promise blessings for paying tithing. The prophets promise blessings for paying tithing. My personal, patriarchal blessing offers blessings for paying tithing.
I started paying tithing as a child, but I struggled to be consistent, and I often fell behind. In my teen years, I made a New Year's resolution to pay a full tithe, and I followed through. I have been a full tithe payer ever since (meaning I have given 10% of my income annually to God through the Church since I was about 16 years old).
For a while, it was hard to pay tithing and take care of my other expenses. I’ve found that when I pay tithing first - immediately upon getting my pay check - my other financial needs tend to fall into place. If I postpone tithing, it becomes harder to make the contribution, so I always pay tithing first thing. I’m so used to it that it doesn’t really faze me to see that money go, but occasionally during a tight financial month, I’ll think, “Gosh, it would be nice to keep this money!” And of course, when I look at the numbers and see how much money is going toward tithing, I think, “Yikes! We could do so much with that money!” But I can’t deny that I’ve been blessed for paying tithing.
When we were newlyweds and young parents, our income did not add up on paper. We made it a priority to keep paying our tithing, and even though we didn’t have enough money… we had enough money. Somehow our budget worked even when the math didn’t. There have been times when money has been particularly tight, but we’ve always had what we needed.
I’ve had so many times when we’ve received something we needed, and I’ve felt the Spirit inform me that we were being blessed for paying our tithing. One experience I remember was when Nicky was a toddler and he desperately needed new church shoes. It was really bad timing for our budget, and I was stressed about spending the money. As I was driving to Walmart to try and find some cheap shoes, I had a sudden, strong feeling that I should go to the DI instead. I rerouted and went to the thrift store and found a pair of nearly new shoes in Nicky’s exact size for $3. Things like this have happened to me so many times. Occasionally it’s just lucky, but other times, I feel like there’s a distinct blessing being given. The thrift store has provided so much for us! Sometimes I walk in with a feeling that what I need is there, and lo and behold, I find it. We’ve had times where an appliance has broken and we’ve been offered a replacement from someone else who just happened to be getting rid of one (without them even knowing we needed one!) I’ve had coupons or gift cards show up and offers of food and hand me downs with perfect timing.
When I got the prompting that it was time to go back to school and get my bachelors degree, I was worried about how we would pay for it. I was overcome with a feeling of peace and the thought, “You don’t need to worry about it. It will be taken care of.” And it all worked out.
I’m sure not all of our blessings for paying tithing have come in monetary ways. I always joke that I wish I could have a printed receipt that shows why I was blessed and what I was blessed with that includes a 90-day return policy. But that’s not how blessings work, and that’s not how faith works. So even though I don’t know all of the blessings that we’ve been granted for living the law of tithing, I have faith that they are abundant.
We aren’t rich by the world’s standards, but I feel rich because I have enough. Sometimes, I even have a little extra. I’m always grateful for the extra, but I’m equally grateful for when we’ve had just enough.
Some might argue that it’s coincidence or good karma, but I really believe that we’ve been blessed in specific ways for paying tithing. Even though it adds up to a lot of money, I don’t feel like we’d be better off keeping and spending the money. The compensatory blessings aren’t always identifiable, but I wouldn’t want to forgo them. I know they’re there. So I have a testimony of the law of tithing. I’ve lived it, and I stand by it. I can’t deny that there’s something to it!
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