Why I Swear By Online Giving

I know I’m not supposed to admit this, but I struggled for years with tithing to my local church. (Yes, even when I was on staff at that church). It’s not like I didn’t know what the Bible said. I knew that God wants us to tithe. It’s not like I doubted God’s motives. I knew that money is the number one competitor with God for my heart. “You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24).

I knew what I needed to do, I just didn’t do it. Many weeks I’d be at church and remember when the offering plate was passed, but alas I didn’t have my checkbook with me. (I never carry my checkbook with me, but it helped in that moment to have the intention of doing the right thing). Every few months, I’d feel convicted and know that I needed to catch up. So, I calculated what I owed, and got really freaked out. Trying to catch up on several months of tithing can be daunting.

For years, I struggled with consistency in my giving. Until I started giving online. I love it. I need it. I swear by it. My church allows me to give online, and for me it’s more than about ease, it’s about accountability. I get paid twice a month, on the 1st and 15th. My tithe is automatically deducted from my checking account, on the 2nd and 16th. When I forget, when I’m on vacation, it still comes out. I’ve set it up as a recurring payment. Here’s why I love online giving so much:

I give to God before I have a chance to spend it on myself.
I give to God even when I consciously forget to give to God.
I give to God the way I know I should: every paycheck, every time.

Since I’ve been at Mt Vernon, I’ve used their online giving. I haven’t missed a payment. I’ve tithed every month. And guess what? I still have money at the end of the month. I’m faithful to God, and He’s been faithful to me. I can attribute numerous blessings I experience to the fact that I take God at His word and give Him my firstfruits. One of the greatest tools to help me take this step of faith has been online giving, and for that I will be eternally grateful (treasures in heaven, whoop whoop!)