In part 1, in the discussion concerning tithing and personal financial status of those who tithe; the discussion explained the purpose for tithing, the value of it and that it is definitely something God wants us to do, it is a principle and it’s about obedience, discipline and faith!  There are still believers who tithe or tithish, and yet feel or live beneath their means in life.  Many are suffering and there are those around them that blame their giving to the church as a reason for their poverty lifestyle.  Well, guess what?  I’m still busting down myths, lies and misconceptions!

My first thing is always from a point of common sense!  Giving 10% anywhere to anyone will not make one broke.  Now it can definitely influence your return on investment, it could be a waste of money but 10% isn’t enough to break anyone!  1 dime from 1 dollar, will not be the dime that sends one to poor house!  It is the mindset that manages the 90 cent remaining that will determine the lifestyle.  

1. Budget – What is the plan for the 90%?  Are you living up to your paycheck?  I tell people all the time, your bills, your living cost are within your control!  You decide if you live paycheck-to-paycheck!
2. SAVINGS – Even after you give your 10%, you should always save at least 10%!  This 10% you do not touch at all!  You tuck it away and forget about it!  If your plan of living or lifestyle means that you ‘eat up’ (spend) all you bring in (make), then you have a plan of poverty not prosperity!
3. Recognize your blessings – I firmly believe that many walk away thinking or expecting their financial blessing to come in certain form and when it doesn’t; he or she will proclaim that they are not blessed or that tithing doesn’t work.   Some blessings come in the form of things that didn’t happen to you!  Things that didn’t occur!  Maybe your bills looked one way, but when you begin to pay them, you realized that what was on paper was looked worse than your actual situation.  Maybe you held onto that car longer than was expected or you expected the worse but the situation wasn’t nearly what you thought.  Blessings aren’t always material, in fact most often they aren’t!  Blessings are untouchable in most cases!  Being in your right mind! Able to make rational and reasonable decisions!   Don’t just count the material blessings!
4. USE YOUR GIFT – Are you using your gifts for provision? Are you working? Do you work consistently?  Even if you are starting a business on the side, you still need to work your job and pay your bills.  Money doesn’t fall out of the sky into your bank account because you are a tither.  God guarantees us rewards and protection for our gifts or means of making money when we tithe.
   1. “And  I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground
   1. Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field”  Malachi 3:11-12

          When we give our tithes AND exercise our gifts, we are covered.  The devourer of your money will be fought off, defeated and conquered.   The most important thing to remember here is that YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!  You cannot do nothing and reap the benefits.  You must engage in using your gifts and talents.  You must also receive the money!  Sometimes people will have gifts, exercise them and then refuse to be paid for them.  In this scenario, you are operating outside of the windows of protection established by God!  Refusing monetary gifts doesn’t make you a saint, it makes you broke, busted and disgusted!  We are equipped with gifts that are designed to make us provision (money).   When you refuse the money, do not ensure proper payment for services rendered; you are self-inflicting poverty onto you and your descendants.

• Cultivate the seed – The investments, the blessings, the promises of God come in seed form.  Notice the wording in Malachi.  God clearly lets you know, I will bless your efforts, your work!  YOU must do something!  No one is blessed doing nothing!  God gives us a seed, and it is our job to plant it and then cultivate the seed.  Too often people do the bare minimum and expect maximum results!  WHY?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  You will always get out of anything, what you put into it!  It’s not enough to have faith to open the business, but did you have enough faith to go through the process?!  Did you have a business plan?  Did you remain open to learn?  Did you surround yourself with people that could groom you for where you were headed?
• Strategic Planning – People who plan, who strategically decide how and when to disburse financial funds are people that successfully attract more money to his or herself.  Money is like a magnet and it is attracted to itself.  If you can hold onto money, you will always find yourself in the flow of it. 

Some may call it being cheap (I used to) or frugal however, it is being wise.  Again, if you spend all that you bring in, you don’t want to be financially stable because you lack the will to sacrifice, plan and execute the plan.  You can have it all, but not all at one time!  To reach the lifestyles that you envy require planning, sacrifice, revisiting the plan, evaluating, budgeting, implementing and back to step 1.  This is a constant cycle for each level of money you wish to reach!   90% are lost right there, because in their mind, they want to be rich overnight and even if that could be done, what they do not realize is doing so; would guarantee that the money gained, they would not be able to retain!

• Stay the Course – Tithing isn’t a hit it or quit it thing.  It is a lifestyle of being in relationship with your creator.  You are tapping back into the source that is responsible for every resource you’ve ever encountered.  It is a relationship! 
• Stop trying to help God Out; Or So We Say! – Because we’ve been conditioned that blessings must be seen, it is easy for one to spend in anticipation of receiving!  That’s a NO!  Buying material things hoping you can afford it later is never about promoting God, it is always about satisfying a lust!  Lust will always drive one deeper into debt!  I remember when I would buy things that I wanted you know to not miss a sale or to get those things sooner and then find myself scraping, begging to pay a bill later.  Priorities out of whack!  I had every excuse in the book too!  None of those excuses mattered either!  The bottom line is when you spend frivolously it is a choice and there are consequences that accompany every choice! 

God has nothing to prove to you, your friends, your church members; so buying a new car hoping that the job comes through isn’t faith it is lack of responsibility and prioritizing.

Quitting your job without a plan of action isn’t faith it is poor planning.

Spending your money on Christmas gifts and then asking people for help later isn’t ‘getting into a bind’; it is bad money management and expecting your lack of management to become another’s problem.

Tithing isn’t the thing making one broke.  It is our actions and expectations after one gives that decides whether you walk in prosperity or poverty.