About 2 months ago, my wife and I received a letter from our pastor, Father (Fr.) Will, asking for money to support the church’s building fund. While we have always believed in our church’s mission, we were already tithing off our gross income and giving a good portion of that to the church.

With only one income, a budget that was already pretty tight, and a commitment to live debt free, our initial instinct was to say “no.” We were comfortable with our current level of tithing. And it just didn’t seem possible for us to go above and beyond.

But then it hit us.

Maybe we were too comfortable with our current tithing. Maybe it was time to get uncomfortable.

A few days later, after some prayer and reflection, my wife and I sat down for our weekly budget meeting. We went through every category looking at areas we could cut so that we could fulfill Fr. Will’s request.

With 2 boys and a baby on the way, we couldn’t cut our grocery budget any more. Our restaurant spending was already pretty small. And because we live in Arizona, we couldn’t afford to cut our monthly electricity savings, which comes in pretty handy for those hot summer months when the air conditioner never stops running.

So we dug deeper.

Each month we save some money for a vacation and put a little bit away to save for a car (so we don’t have to go into debt when it’s time to purchase another one). With a few cuts to those categories, along with some minor tweaks to a couple other charities we give to, we had our answer. We could now add our church’s building fund to our regular tithing.

I wish I could say this was an easy process, but it wasn’t. In fact, there’s nothing easy about tithing. Behind only our mortgage, tithing is our second highest expense each month. Without it, we could go out to eat more regularly, invest more in retirement, fully fund college accounts for our kids, or even pay off our house early.

Tithing is a sacrifice. But it doesn’t compare to the sacrifice that Christ paid on the cross (John 3:16). And that’s why we made this choice…to honor Him.

I’m not sure about your state in life, but I do know that we’re called to place God first in our lives, and that includes with our finances.

Start with prayer. Be willing to sacrifice (Hebrews 13:16). And create a good monthly budget. Trust me, you will be blessed (Matthew 6:3-4).

You see, just days after we made the decision to give to our church’s building fund, my wife’s parents offered to cover a portion of our upcoming vacation. But they did so without even knowing about our sacrifice. And a few days after that, a friend gave us a handful of coupons for free sandwiches at Chick-fil-A. She didn’t know about our sacrifice either.

God will not be outdone in generosity. And while we’re truly grateful for these earthly blessings, we know that the greatest reward is eternal (Revelation 22:12). We just need to remain faithful. After all, Jesus already paid the ultimate price. We can certainly afford to be a little uncomfortable.

Relieve the underlying stress in your life

Many people don’t realize the underlying stress in their life is caused by financial troubles. Perhaps that’s you. Or perhaps it’s someone you know. I’ve been there. I’ve felt it. Thankfully, I’m not there anymore. 

And I want to help. 

As a certified financial coach (by Dave Ramsey’s team), I teach people how to take back control of their finances so they can have peace of mind and a better future.  

If you’re looking to get out of debt, build some savings, or need help setting up your budget, schedule an appointment today (online or in-person), and I’ll help guide you on that path toward peace.