RELUCTANT TO RECEIVE REWARD

As part of a recent set of scientific experiments to investigate the evolution of selfless behavior, groups of people participated in games where they were able to choose how much money they wished to contribute to a public project. Players were then rewarded according to how much they gave. When the experiment was fixed so that the players would get the greatest reward when they contributed all of their money, people consistently contributed significantly less than 100%. In other words, even though the players knew that they would get the greatest reward when they gave all their money, they still wouldn’t let go of it.

Sounds crazy right?
If you say yes, then you probably tithe as instructed.

God asks: “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.”
Then we ask: “How do we rob you Lord?”
And God answers: “In tithes and offerings.” (Mal 3:8)

Tithing is not taking a tenth of our own money and giving it to God-- it’s about not taking from God what is already His. He owns it all (Psa. 24:1), and we become thieves when we keep something that God explicitly instructs us to release.
Just like those people in that experiment, we are being tested. Will we give all that we’re supposed to and reap the greatest reward, or will we horde it all for ourselves and forfeit a blessing?

God invites us to test Him in His faithfulness. He tells us to bring the whole tithe and then watch to see whether he won’t throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that we can’t contain it (Mal 3:10-11). He tells us to give, and it will be given to us. With the same measuring cup we use, God will pour into our lap a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over (Luke 6:38).

So the question is: Will you be like those people in the experiment and be reluctant to receive reward? Or will you trust God at His word and give your entire tithe as He commands?