A Technologically-Advanced Tithe

This one blew me away.

There is a new Iphone app that allows you to pay your tithe directly from your fancy phone.

MyTithe (givemytithes.com) allows churches to register on their website, then accept payment from church members through their MyTithe app. When an individual signs up they are given a merchant account that does an electronic transfer between church-goer and church.

The best part was this comment on their website - No more lost givings on Sundays when members are out!

I have no idea what the heart condition is of the woman who created this app. (I did read an article that gave a woman credit for its creation.) But it seems to me that she was more concerned about making money of her own than helping grow someone else's Christian walk.

If I'm not planning to go to church on Sunday, I'm probably not too concerned about getting my money there, either. If I don't have consistent church attendance, I probably don't have consistent giving. An app on my Iphone probably won't prove my devotion to my church, my pastor or my sisters in Christ.

On the other hand, both my attendance and my commitment to tithing are contracts with the Lord. The "convenience" of electronically transferring money doesn't mean a thing to God if my heart attitude isn't right. The point isn't that we'd be saving tithe envelopes from ending up in the landfill or that we're suddenly able to give on-the-go. The point is that giving my tithe directly into the collection plate means that I am physically there and hearing God's Word from God's man.

Call me old fashioned, but this rubs me the wrong way. I believe that God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7), but I also believe that He loves obedience and my presence even more.

So for the moment, my church treasurer will have to keep watching our tithe envelope go in the trash can. Sorry Bro. Steve!

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