The $20,000 watch

When I arrived at the gym yesterday afternoon and made my way to the locker room there was a guy in there on the phone. I've seen this guy a zillion times at the gym and we always say "Hi" to each other and maybe join in some surfacy conversation about the weather. As I'm getting dressed I can telll by the tone of his voice he is very angry. I bent over to tie my shoes and apparently he had been put on hold at that point. He looked at me and said "you'd think when you buy a $20,000 watch you could get it serviced without so much hassle!" I responded "you'd think" and returned to my shoes. I mean, really, how do you respond to something like that? He rolled his eyes and about that time was taken off hold. His much aggitated and aggrivated conversation continued.

We started a tithing series at church last weekend called "Deal or No Deal." First of all, either you believe that God owns everything or you don't. I do. And if he owns everthing then I am just a steward of the resources He provides to me. If He says that its my duty to take a portion of what He provides and reinvest that in His church then I believe that is what I should do. However, not everyone believes this, perhaps because they're afraid, they don't understand or they just don't want to.....I dunno.


Last weekend our senior pastor made a huge ask of our attendees. He asked them in two weeks to make a committment to tithe 10% on that weekend. To some people 10% is a huge amount for them to give up to others its a drop in the bucket. Either way it means giving up something.


I was reading the book of Haggai and I came across these verses:



2A Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies: "The people procrastinate. They say this isn't the right time to rebuild my Temple, the Temple of God." 3-4Shortly after that, God said more and Haggai spoke it: "How is it that it's the 'right time' for you to live in your fine new homes while the Home, God's Temple, is in ruins?" 9-11"And why?" (This is a Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, remember.) "Because while you've run around, caught up with taking care of your own houses, my Home is in ruins. That's why. Because of your stinginess. And so I've given you a dry summer and a skimpy crop. I've matched your tight-fisted stinginess by decreeing a season of drought, drying up fields and hills, withering gardens and orchards, stunting vegetables and fruit. Nothing—not man or woman, not animal or crop—is going to thrive."

The people the prophet Haggai is addressing seem to be so consumed by "keeping up with the Jones'" that they've totally neglected returning any part of what they have to build God temple. How different is the world today? Not much.

I remember when we first committed to tithing. It was scary. It was a risk. But in the second chapter of Malachi God says go ahead test me and just see if I don't take care of you.

"The tithe and the offering—that's how! And now you're under a curse —the whole lot of you—because you're robbing me. Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don't open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams. For my part, I will defend you against marauders, protect your wheat fields and vegetable gardens against plunderers." The Message of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

I don't necessarily think this means that God is going to pour buckets of money on you if you tithe, but He might. Who am I to say? But I do know that you will get blessed because we have been blessed abundantly over and over and not just with money. We've never went without food nor shelter. I've always been able to pay my bills. And I have more savings that I ever dreamed I would. God will take care of you if you tithe. It's a promise.

I can't say that Mr $20,000 watch doesn't tithe. I have no idea. But I do know how easy it is to get consumed by what the world tells you is important and what really is important to God. Been there, done that. So don't let your $20,000 watch stand in the way of giving back to God what is due Him. You'll get some much more than an expensive watch back in return.