by Victoria Conley
Growing up, I knew little about stewardship. I did, however, know the importance of giving from observing my parents each week in church. Every Sunday, my sisters and I would ask my parents for some money for the offering. And of course, my parents would place some quarters into our hands. By placing that change into the offering plate, I remember feeling good inside because I gave back to Jesus so He could use the money to change the world. When I finally started making money by babysitting, dogsitting, and tutoring, I began to tithe at least ten percent of my small earnings, just as I had seen my parents do. It actually became quite exciting to tithe, because I got my own tithing envelopes from the church with my name on them, and that made it personal.
Whether I made $5 or $120 that week, tithing was the first thing I did with my money. At first it was really easy because when I made about $15 from a babysitting job, the tithe was only $1.50, so it was not much sacrifice. But when I started earning more, the tithe amounts got larger. At one point, I thought, “Wow! I could do a lot with the money I give. I could have gone to the movies more with friends, gone shopping more — which is my favorite pastime — or bought tons of new books.” But, I realized that even though I could do plenty with the money, God could do so much more.
It was not until I was around 12 years old, however, that I realized that there are other ways to give that do not include money. I learned in youth group that stewardship is about tithing plus giving. Tithing always involves money, but giving does not have to be limited to money. It can be anything, from helping out in nursery, assisting in parking lot duty, or greeting people at the door of the church. There are so many ways people can give of their time and talents. For example, I was the secretary of the Cubbies and Puggles in AWANA for two years and had an absolute blast. I served so I could bless those kids, but seeing their enthusiasm for Christ blessed me. There was not a night that those precious kids did not make me smile as they ran down the hall, gave me hugs, sang Bible songs, or said their verses.
I picture giving as an act of worship. Anytime I give back to God whether through money, time, or talent, I sense Him standing near me, smiling. Despite my youth, I can give back by helping out in the children’s ministry, leading worship in youth group, doing more community service activities to show others who Christ is, arranging rides for someone in the youth group who needs one, anonymously helping someone out, or going on mission trips. Once I took that first step towards giving back to Jesus, I could not get enough of it. Giving back through my money, time, and talents has consumed my life and given my life a purpose. Through stewardship, I have learned that I truly don’t begin to live until I truly begin to give.
I heard someone say a long time ago, “Tithing is a debt I owe. Giving is a seed I sow.” Over the years, tithing has changed my whole attitude from one of “I have to give” to one of “I am glad to give.” In Luke 6:28, Jesus said, “For if you give, you will get. Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure. Whatever measure you use to give, it will be used to measure what is given back to you.” Tithing is such a bare minimum, ten percent. Giving is the extra stuff we do because we love God. By tithing and giving, we exhibit God’s importance in our life. Beside all that, giving some of my money, some of my time, some of my talents, is the least I can do for all that He gave to me. He gave me His Son’s life, a family that loves me, a Christian environment to grow up in, a church home to fellowship in, and so many other blessings!
Victoria is a senior at Bible Baptist School, Savannah, GA. She is an active member in her community and at Bible Baptist Church where Herb Hubbard is her pastor. Currently she is the worship leader for the elementary children during the Sunday school group session, and she is a member of the Chatham County Youth Commission, a government organization that allows youth to experience various aspects of their local government while serving their community and advocating for youth in various countywide events. In that organization, Victoria has been involved in several campaigns informing teens about domestic violence, teen driving safety, and HIV/AIDS. Victoria is also the president of Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Bible Baptist School and will attend Mercer University. This article is based on a testimony she gave at church during stewardship month.