God gets my first 10 percent

At the root of my financial foundation must be the biblical principle of tithing.

Photo by Geoff Chang on Unsplash

I started this month of May the same way I kicked off 2023.

But before I share my routine for the first morning of each month, let me tell you a quick story about how it started back on New Year’s Day.

I decided to bring in the New Year in church. I don’t attend much. But a sunrise service on the first day of the year seemed fitting. It would be the launch pad for the best money move I will ever make — tithing.

Charitable giving is among the lessons I was taught about money. Giving back to God, however, is a commitment I was slow to adopt. I faithfully began directing the first 10 percent of my annual earnings to my church home back in 2015. But when divorce bills mounted soon after, I stopped. I view it now as a test of my faith that I failed.

I also know this: We fall down. But we get up.

Before getting on my feet, before leading us to where I believe we’re headed, I needed to make sure we’re standing on solid rock. Everything else is sinking sand. Our foundation, no matter how large the emergency fund grows, is flawed if we don’t adhere to this biblical principle.

Back when I did tithe, I experienced its effectiveness. I transformed from a doubter into a believer. I thought I would miss the money. I didn’t. I thought I would struggle to make ends meet. Instead, I became a better steward. Little by little, my bank account grew. I also gained satisfaction in knowing that by giving to a community minded church my money was going to worthy causes.

The more I got on my feet, the more I missed those feelings. In early December, I finally did something about it. At least I tried.

My original plan was to set up my tithe through a recurring monthly withdrawal. I called the number provided by my chosen church twice before having to settle for a voicemail. Hours passed without a callback before stretching into days, then weeks. The calendar then created the perfect opportunity.

I woke up early on New Year’s Day to catch the 7:30 a.m. service., checkbook in pocket, ready to reclaim my place as a cheerful giver. But when I pulled into the church, the parking lot was empty. I knew it wasn’t good. A woman standing near the entrance kindly informed me the 7:30 service was virtual only.

Ugh.

Back home I went, kicking myself for making the 25.6-mile, round-trip trek for nothing. It only grew worse when I returned for the ensuing 9:30 a.m. service. At least this time, service was in-person. But there was a noticeable difference. Technology had taken over.

I grew up when the backs of each pew featured church staples: Bibles, hymnals and, where I’m from, stacks of black-and-white envelopes designated for tithes and offerings.

My first reminder of 2023 that I’m rapidly growing old and out of touch came less than 12 hours into the year. No longer do collection plates get passed. QR codes have replaced the aforementioned church staples. Scan them using your smartphone and pop up the church program and, of course, links to electronically give your tithe and offerings.

I could have stayed home.

But the trip — both times — was worth it. I started the year hearing an uplifting sermon that made me weep and armed me with the appropriate mindset for whatever this year may bring.

More than that, I walked away from that New Year’s Day experience feeling like my faith had again been tested, but this time I passed. I didn’t let my unreturned calls and voicemail deter me. The early morning, the long drive and the empty parking lot didn’t discourage me. The missing black-and-white envelopes didn’t matter.

When I got home that morning, the first thing I did was pull up the popular mobile payment service used by the church. With a few clicks, I submitted my tithe.

Two days later, I got a call from an unknown number. It was from the church. A woman left a voicemail about setting up my recurring gift.

Someday I will. For now, I’m having fun embracing technology.

And so I started this first day of May like I start every morning on the first of the month. I rolled over, reached for my smartphone, pulled up that popular mobile payment app and cheerfully punched in my tithe.

It’s without question the best money move I can make.