Stewardship Testimonial

Dear Friends:

I started my walk with our Lord in the year 2000 when a friend re-introduced me to the man named Jesus. I actually didn’t know much about Him but I was intrigued and so I began to seek.

One of my first questions was, “If I accept Him into my heart, what will He want in return?” He answered, “To believe.” One of my next questions was, “How do I know what God’s will is for my life?”

One area of His will is very clear. He’s very serious when it comes to offerings and tithes. In fact, He seems quite stern in Malachi 3:8 when He asks “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.”

In Malachi 3:10 He further tells us to “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.”

When Pastor Jared asked me to give a testimonial about tithing, I struggled with what to say. So I asked God to give me a word. He said “Freedom”. Something about Jesus setting you free. And I said, “hmmmm, I’ll have to look that up.”

There it was in John 8:36: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

So that’s the answer. That, among other things, is what He is giving me. Freedom.

I knew that tithing would be at least one thing I could get right. So I said, “Okay, Lord, I’ll do it because I love You.” It was a struggle, mostly inside me. I tried to make excuses. I thought about all the “things” I wanted until I looked around at all the “things” I had. I determined that my money could be put to far better use than what I would do with it.

Suddenly, I’m less cluttered. I’m not hanging on so tightly. I’m more open to possibilities, challenges, opportunities and even those pesky changes that come along. It’s a process, but it has increased my faith.

I believe,

Marilyn S