This is one of those subjects no one wants to touch.  If I were a pastor I could understand this; it's difficult to get up in front of the congregation and tell them the benefits of separating from their money.  That's why I'm going to take this from a very different approach; one not very well thought out and even spontaneous.

I just started, what I hope to be, a habit of tithing in my life - and by 'started' I mean it was literally two days ago.  Already have I seen the fruits of this: A Jazz Dance class I was told by the VA that I would have to pay for out-of-pocket was found to already have been paid when I went to do such yesterday afternoon.  Granted, it was paid almost a month ago, so the ties to my recent discipline aren't as strong as I'd like to believe.  Regardless, it's still worthy of mentioning, but it will be my only story of a promise kept whilst talking on this subject.

Other than that, I have nothing to report as far as how tithing has helped me in the past.  I cannot proclaim to you that "100-fold" will indeed be given back to you should you choose to part from a measly %10 of your earnings.  I'm not coming at you from a perspective that has learned from experience, or seen the fruits of this practice; instead I'm writing to you from the very beginning, a perspective that knows not what the future has in store for me.

That's the beauty of it.

I have no idea how this whole tithing thing will work out for me.  I have no clue whether or not it'll be these moments that will someday grant me out of financial debt or even reward me with a $1000 check from a stranger who just thought that I might need it.  It's all very unpredictable how God decides he will give back.  In fact, I might not even get anything back for as long as I live, but I'm ok with that; because that's not the point.

The point is that I'm showing God that I want to trust him with EVERY aspect of my life.

I've always told myself that when I actually have the money, as in - when every little bit wasn't meant for bills and to actually live on, I would tithe without hesitation.  Now I began to wonder, "Would I actually do that?"  Because I couldn't seem to trust him now, when I don't really have the money to spare, and I'm spending money like I have it anyway, would I actually discipline myself to trust him when I have the money?  Maybe...but I wasn't trusting him now...and that's the one thing that matters.

It's not about how much you have, or can give.
It's not about the promises or the rewards.
It's not about the discipline itself - a part where you can say "Yeah, I'm a true christian because I tithe."

It's just about trusting him.

Because I'm not counting on him to get me out of financial debt.  No, for that I just need to stop spending my money recklessly.

I just want him to know that, no matter what, I'm letting him have control of my entire life, and not just the things that I allow him to have control over.  Even if I get nothing back, I just want him to see in me a heart that trusts him so that my life will go according to plan.  It's all part of my prayer, tithing is, and not so much about the money.

But that's me.