"'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there might be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty. 'See if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it...Then the nations will call you blessed, and yours will be a delightful land.'"
Malachi 3: 10-12
Most people have heard of a tithe, meaning a tenth of your earnings should be given to charity, but how about a tenth of your time?
There are 1440 minutes in each day. If I were going to give God one tenth, that would equate to 2 hours and 24 minutes. Even if I subtracted eight hours for the time I sleep, my tithe should then be 1 and 1/2 hours. How many of us spend that much time devoted to the things of God during a day? We might could watch a movie for that long, but reading the Bible and praying?
The Bible tells us to "pray without ceasing" so I thought it would be best to allow God into my heart 24/7, to let my thoughts flow in ceaseless praise. For instance, as I pass a grumpy neighbor on the sidewalk, send up a prayer for him. While commuting to work, turn off the radio and ruminate on memorized scripture or hymns. If two frisky squirrels chasing each other 'round the oak tree make me smile, remember to thank their Maker. There are countless ways we can weave God into our lives all day long.
Don't be like the disciples who kept falling asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane. Be diligent. Keep watch and do not squander time. In increments, we can tithe our time to God and thereby live in a delightful land.
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