WHY I GIVE TITHE….
By Pastor Dolapo Adelakun

1. I give tithe because I grew up seeing my maternal grandfather pay tithe. He was very strict on tithing and would always insist that his children do the same.

He died strong like Moses….. his eyes did not grow dim. His natural gait was not reduced.

He died blessed like Abraham…. rich in all things. Till today, even those of us grandchildren still partake of his resources. It has never gone dry after over thirty years of his transition.

He died the covenant death…. Nothing missing. Nothing broken. He had 15 children and none died before him.

One Sunday morning, his driver did not show up on time, he trekked from “Ekotedo” to St Peters Church, Aremo. That’s quite a distance, you’ll agree for a man over 70 years then.

A day before his death, a call came through to my mum that Grandpa said, everyone should come the following day, that he was going to die at 11am. That was it. The following day with most of his children around his bed, he gave up at exactly 11am with his antique clock clicking eleven times.

He truly walked with God. He was not a pastor. He was just a layman.

Having witnessed all these, I began to have a rethink about tithing.

2. I give tithe because Abraham paid tithe and God says we should look up to Abraham.

When you are instructed to look up to a person, it means you should look at his lifestyle and what made him become a reference. Abraham paid tithes of all and he received the blessing which sealed the promise God made with him earlier.

3. I give tithe because I do not have ‘long leg’. All my life, it has always been the help of God. No God Father anywhere except God.

God says, if I pay tithe, he would open the windows of heaven for me. I have held on to this and seen it manifest over the years.

4. I give tithe because I could not handle the devourers of my flesh.

Sicknesses caused by devourers defy medicine and money. They even defy prayers of prophets.

Devourers are spiritual agents sent to destroy our sweat and labour. They come in the guise of strange ailments. They come in form of shame. They come wearing different cloaks of embarrassment.

Tithe is the only instrument ordained by God to rebuke devourers…… for the first 24 years of my life, I suffered from a heart deformity. I spent more days in the hospital than I did in the boarding school while in Yejide Girls Grammar School. Jehovah bless mama Opia, our matron then and ‘brother Sikiru’ who was the school driver. They were always using the school bus to carry me to Adeoyo hospital. At a point, medical personnel from the Institute of Child Health started visiting me in school for updates. It was really a dark period.

When I finished my National Youth Service Corps in 1984, I went for my regular checkup and there my consultant said, I had only 3 months to live. It did not bother me because I was already tired of life. I was not born again then so I didn’t even know how to pray. I did not know one could pray against medical verdict.

When I eventually gave my life to Christ, I prayed earnestly for a miracle and God honoured me. From May 2nd 1987, I have been on my feet. No more affliction. I started giving tithe in February 1987. Today, I can see the difference. I have even grown beyond 10% in appreciation for God’s mercies over the years.

One day, God told me…. YOU CANNOT CALL FOR MERCY WHEN YOU ARE NOT A TITHER? I got the message.

5. I give tithe because of God’s LOVE for me. It is easy when it stems from a love relationship. I have enjoyed strange, unsolicited favours over the years. I want to appreciate all these with the payment of my tithe.

6. When I started giving tithe, one deadly weakness in my life stopped. IMPULSE BUYING was a stronghold in my life. I could buy any junk for any amount and later regret it but I will still do the same thing within days.

Tithing delivered me from careless living. Now, I have wisdom that makes Prudent.

Tithing is a mystery. It is not under the law. It started years before the law was written. It was an action that stemmed from a LOVE relationship between God and Abraham.

One day, a parent came to pay for interhouse sports and end of year party but she left the tuition unpaid. Immediately, the Lord said, that is how some of my lovely children behave. They give different kinds of offerings and pledges but they do not pay tithe.

Permit me to say, your tithe is more important than any other offering no matter how big. The blessings of tithing are too numerous to mention. Don’t miss out. Go back and read Malachi 3 and ask the Holy Spirit to give you a personal insight and encounter. The voice you hear directly from above is always stronger than the voice of any prophet anywhere.

When people want to cheat me, I remind them that I am a tither and everyone straightens up. It is my weapon of warfare everywhere I go.