Everybody loves the RUSH of getting their tax refund check in the mail.  Our minds have already spent it before we’ve even cashed it.

This is a BLESSING!  I understand where the money comes from, it’s money that you and I worked hard for and then “voluntarily” paid to the government to maintain and improve the infrastructure we have in our state and country; then the government refunds a portion back to us.  I get all of that and I get that there are many who have heated political feelings about taxes, and how much money we should get back; that isn’t my focus in this post.

Let me shed some light on the “tax refund” from a spiritual & eternal perspective.  What if I told you every year as followers of Jesus WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD MORE UNCHURCHED PEOPLE TO BECOME HARDCORE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST through the TAX REFUND.  That’s right, your tax refund, which is really a blessing from God is an opportunity to be a blessing to Jesus & His Church!

The Bible teaches us that God is the BLESSOR, we are the BLESSED, to be a BLESSING!  Every good gift comes from God.  This includes the air we breathe, the minds we think with, and the hands we work with.  God wants to bless us because He loves us.  And God wants to bless others through us!

The spiritual discipline of tithing is the tool God uses to shape our hearts to become more like His in the area of our finances.  A Tithe literally means, a tenth or 10%.  God says, I have given you everything you have.  Now, bring back to me a portion, 10% as an act of trust and obedience.  When we bring back the 10%, God blesses the remaining 90%.  I would much rather live on a blessed 90% than a cursed 100%, when you live on the cursed 100% you will never feel like you have enough, you will be swimming in debt, and you will be enslaved to the almighty dollar.  Besides, God promises to pour out so much blessing on us that we won’t have enough room to contain it all (Mal.3:10).

Imagine with me all of God’s people returning a portion of their tax refund to their local church in an effort to see GOD DO THE IMPOSSIBLE! Imagine all of the lives that would be changed, imagine all of the churches that would be strengthened, imagine how much glory God would get!  Imagine God pouring out HIS BLESSINGS UPON HIS CHURCH in proportion to the portion WE BRING BACK TO HIM!

So, this year, before you go out and spend your entire tax refund on televisions, cell phones, dvd’s, video games, couches, cars, and clothes – RETURN A PORTION OF YOUR REFUND TO GOD, as an act of TRUST AND OBEDIENCE!  If you already tithe on the gross of your income, consider this a SACRIFICIAL OFFERING that you are giving above & beyond the tithe!  My family tithes on the gross and gives a certain percentage above & beyond our income every single week, PLUS we love to return a portion of our tax refund every year as a sacrificial offering to Jesus & His Mission in the Church!

For more info on giving at The Dialogue Church visit www.theDC.tv/giving.