Tithing Time

When I woke up this morning I was given a check. It was made out to me and I can use it any way I wish. This gift certificate is good for "24 hours" and its all mine! Now what to do with it...

The author, Harvey MacKay once said,
“Time is free, but it's priceless.
You can't own it, but you can use it.
You can't keep it, but you can spend it.
Once you've lost it you can never get it back.”

Time is really one of our greatest gifts. Its more valuable than money and yet just as easily spent. There is no rich and poor in the land of time. Every person is given 24 hours in a day. However, everyone has a limited amount of time, whether they live to be 20 or 102. There is both so much and so little of it.

The way I use time tells a lot about me. Just like money, I spend it on what I think is valuable. Taking this into consideration I have realized I need to adjust my time-spending habits. Presently, my time-spending says I value food, sleep, school and socializing more than anything. Every one of these are important, but I don't want them to be most important. There is nothing more important than God!

Recently I heard of someone who chose to tithe their productive hours. I was intrigued by the idea, so I looked up some verses on tithing. What I found was that the children of Israel brought "in abundance...tithe of everything" (2 Chronicles 31:6) and that there is a incredible blessing promised to those who faithfully bring tithe to God (Malachi 3:10). The purpose of tithing was to remind us that everything we have is a gift from God.

I have decided to try tithing my time. Usually my days are 15 hrs long meaning a 10th of my time would be approximately 1.5 hours. This will be time that belongs to God: time to pray, study, sing, and meditate throughout the day. Even on my busiest day I need to remember who gave me the day in the first place. Or should I say, especially on my busiest day.

God has given me the gift of time every moment I am alive. Isn't it time I officially gave some back to Him in love and gratitude? It is so little, but here is the blessing...the more I give, the more I will desire to give.