January 18, 2013     Africa blogger  "Bakhita"        Previous articles

Giving

Recently I was faced with an interesting ‘test’ on giving. I have members of my extended family who are not so fortunate to have the little things that we sometimes take for granted. One member of my extended family lives in the informal settlements in the capital city.

The rents are as low as 50 USD a month and yet she struggles to get this. She came to me on Saturday and said that her landlord had locked her out of the house for non-payment. She spent a night in my house and come Sunday, I packed a few foodstuffs for her and send her off to her house, as I went off to church. I didn’t give her the money to help her clear her rent, but instead told her that I didn’t have the money at that time and would try and sort her out later in the month.

I had chosen to tithe on this particular Sunday and I did. Later on, I stopped to think, if I had instead helped my relative and considered praying while giving that the Almighty would find my giving worthy. Would that be considered as tithing???

I was reminded of the teaching in Mathew 25: 34-40  
“ 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’  

Was my aunty a stranger and I didn’t invite her? Would God accept my tithe and find it worthy when indeed I should have given to someone who was in need?