Sowing and Reaping?
We’ve heard it a million times – “Just sow into my ministry and you will reap a bountiful harvest; 30, 60 or 100 fold.” It is scriptural, isn’t it?! So why hasn’t it worked? Oh, maybe it has a time or two, but what is the key? Why doesn’t this perfectly scriptural principle of sowing and reaping work all the time for everyone?
One thing we can be sure of – it isn’t God’s fault! So where does the problem lie?
As we listened yesterday to a commentator bashing the sowing/reaping preachers, I began to mull this over and decided it was time to step up and put in my two cents worth.
We have actually experienced this principle of sowing and reaping in the financial arena many times. BUT not always. Hmm . . .
Before I start on what I think is at least a partial answer to this seeming contradiction, it’s important to remember that the Bible teaches us over and over that “truth” is what sets us free. Perhaps some of our famous Bible teachers and preachers haven’t been telling us the whole truth. Maybe they themselves don’t know about some other important principles that govern our finances and that need to be understood and instituted before the principle of sowing and reaping.
Almost 10 years ago we had the privilege of meeting Craig Hill, founder of Family Foundations International. We were impressed when we heard his appeal for the offering. Instead of appealing to emotion and laying on a “guilt trip” like so many preachers do, he simply stated what the offering was going to be used for and asked that we seek the direction of the Holy Spirit in what He wanted us to give. Not only that, but spouses were to seek the Lord together and come into agreement about what that amount was to be. Wow, this was a different message than we were hearing from others and it was in perfect alignment with what we already believed.
Later we had the privilege of translating Craig’s book, Wealth, Riches and Money into Portuguese. In that process, we learned that there is a sequence of principles in operation in the area of finances. Unless we understand and incorporate these principles into our financial lives, we will never see the 3rd or 5th or 6th principle fully operational in the way God intends it.
There are several principles, according to Craig Hill and co-author Earl Pitts that come before the principle of sowing and reaping in this sequence. The first is the principle of “sparrow faith” which has been taught in a few circles and is not a new concept. This principle can be summed up this way: “God is my source of provision and I don’t need to DO anything to twist His arm to provide for me.” Note: this does not mean I can just sit around and expect Him to drop provision from the heavens. Sparrows don’t need to worry about their provision; it is just there for them provided by their heavenly Father. The basis for this principle comes from Matthew 6:25-33.
Although God is the source, He opens up channels of provision. Those channels could be any number of things such as; job, parents, investments, dividends, gifts from others, odd jobs, etc. So our part in this “sparrow faith” principle is to trust in the Lord, seek Him about what channels He wants to use and do the work necessary to put feet to our faith.
The second principle that needs to be in place before that of sowing and reaping is the principle of the tithe. When we understand that the tithe is “holy” and that it belongs to the Lord and we are just administrators of it, we will never again touch the tithe for ourselves. You may wonder about my use of the word “holy” but all that means is simply “set apart” or “reserved” and it can be compared to a sign placed on a chair saying, “reserved for the organist”. It simply means that no one else can use that chair because it has been set apart for a specific purpose. That is what “holy” means. So the tithe is “set apart” or “reserved” for God’s use. The word, “tithe” literally means 10% so that is the amount of the tithe. Anything beyond that is “giving”. Craig Hill and Earl Pitts point out several very interesting things about the tithe.
First of all, although it is an Old Testament term, when it is mentioned in Malachi 3:6-10 it is prefaced by verse 6 which says, “For I am the Lord, I do not change . . .” This would imply that the tithe is an ancient path – one of the ways of God, a principle that is timeless and that was actually established by God before the Old Testament law. In fact, it was established about 430 years before the law. (See Hebrews 7:4-8) As such, there is no reason to imagine that the tithe would be any different under the New Testament.
The tithe according to Craig and Earl is an act of spiritual warfare. It is a declaration to the spirit of Mammon that we do not trust in money, but rather in the living God who provides our needs (the principle of sparrow faith). By returning to God His portion (the tithe) we are saying to the Mammon spirit, “I don’t love you or serve you. I am taking 10% of what I use as a medium of exchange for buying and selling, and I am releasing it to God.”
In their book, Craig and Earl point out many other details about the tithe as well as going into great detail about how to be faithful stewards, how to establish and close your circle (your budget), taking responsibility for debt and becoming a spiritual eunuch in the financial arena. At the end of the book, the principle of sowing and reaping is finally explained. I will explore that aspect as well as others in future postings.
If you’d like a copy of Wealth, Riches and Money, you can purchase it through Family Foundations International or you can send an email and I can get it for you. Suggested donation cost is $15.00 plus shipping.
