You Don’t Own A Thing

But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. —  Malachi 3:7-10

So God's people throughout the book of Malachi keep trying to interrogate God. And they don't do so well. Their question here is — "How do we come back?" They ask this because they feel like they haven't left. They feel like God has left them. So because they ask the question, God is going to answer them. And he's going to illustrate their unfaithfulness using money. What's interesting about this example is that God has already given them lots of examples of how they have left him. But they are not listening. In fact, he just gave them a list of six. But instead of using those examples, he pulls out a new one — how they don't give their tithes. A tithe literally meant one-tenth and they were required by their Law to give one-tenth of their annual earnings to God. This was done to honor God's ongoing provision to them and then used to support Temple functions.

Now I don't have time to deal with all the history behind the tithe, but there are a couple of things you need to know. First, we are not obligated to the Mosaic Covenant. These people were. But we are not. We are obligated to a New Covenant. Therefore, we do not tithe to the Temple as they did. Second, I should clarify that the New Covenant does declare generous and sacrificial giving to the work of ministry. 2 Corinthians chapters 8-9 talk a lot about this.

But there is a bigger issue I want to address from this text.

Everything we get is from God. Everything. As followers, we are required to relinquish control of ownership. We don't own a thing. God owns it all. But we can easily disconnect from this truth because an ownership mindset is seductive. Even a little taste of success or accomplishment can convince us that we did it or we deserve it, and thus a thing belongs to us. But it doesn't. It's God's. And there is a tell-tale sign that will indicate that any man has fallen into the ownership mindset. The indicator happens right at the moment you are asked to give or presented a need. Then what you do is justify not giving because that thing someone else needs belongs only to you.

Put it to the test today. Steward more. Own less. Live like a steward. There is only one Owner.

ASK THIS: Is there something God is asking you to give of your time, talents, and treasure?

DO THIS: Give it away, and don't let it own you.

PRAY THIS: God, I declare you own all things in my life, even my money. Show me how to steward it.

PLAY THIS: Living Sacrifice.