Freedom through giving

At the Men's Retreat last weekend, the theme was freedom. We talked a lot about freedom, how to get freedom in our lives, and some of the things we needed to be free of. I have continued to think about that idea as I've gone through my week.

I think one of the hardest places to get freedom is from the fear and need we have wrapped up in money. It's a fear I know well. I am what my mom affectionately refers to as a "tightwad." It's not that I'm afraid to spend money, I just constantly run through a list of possibilities in my head. There have been times when I considered buying something, then thought maybe it would be smarter just to sit on the money in case a catastrophe happened.

And let's be honest, the economic state of our country the past few years hasn't really made those kind of fears easy to shake.

That fear also affected the way I looked at tithing. I tithed sometimes, but it wasn't a regular part of my routine. This past year I've been convicted about that. I finally came to the conclusion that if I could afford to buy coffee every morning, and if I could afford to go to the movies each week, I could afford to tithe. More importantly, I should be tithing because that was the most important, most fulfilling of the three.

It's still hard, but it's part of our spiritual discipline. It's hard when you're thinking about doing it and it's hard when you're making out the check, but there is a sense of freedom when you put the check in the plate. It's not a freedom that comes from fulfilling a law or requirement, but rather from what I'm a part of when I give.

Let me explain what I mean. Highlands Church has meant a lot to me. It's been a place of refuge, a place of growth, and a place of fellowship. And daily I amazed by the vibrant people who fellowship and serve here, and all the programs, activities, and life-changing moments that Highlands fosters. When I give I am a small part of that, I am a part of something that is much bigger than myself, and there is a joy and freedom in that.

I know many of you feel the same. And none of it would be possible without the generous and faithful support of the many individuals that call Highlands home.