Tithing Time

It's a pretty simple concept, actually.  God asks us to give us 10% of everything we have.  Today, we take that to mean material things.  And that, of course, is correct.  We do have a duty to give back to God what rightfully belongs to Him.  Nothing that we "own" is really ours.  It belongs, first and foremost, to God.  If God didn't allow our things to exist, they wouldn't exist.  It's as simple as that. He provides for us in amazing ways that we don't quickly recognize.  Giving back to God is a good and grateful way to be.

It is correct to give our things back to God.  But it's not the only way to give back to Him.  For the last several years, I have been "attempting" at thing that I called "tithing time."  It's as simple as it sounds.  God gives me the time that I have in the world, so I try to give Him His time back.  10% of His time, in fact.

Tithing time is a lot more difficult than I originally thought when I first came up with this idea.  But if the day is split up into 24 hours, than that means 2.4 hours a day back to God.  Not easy, but possible.

How do I do it?  Prayer, of course.  All different types of prayer:  rosary, contemplation, meditation, etc.  I read scripture and Catholic books (I choose one a month to go through, usually by the Saints).  I attend daily Mass.

While I wouldn't say that I have truly given 2.4 hours a day, I have definitely made a huge effort to complete this task once I dedicated myself to it.

I encourage you to think about your day.  How much time do you spend with God?  It's interesting, but if I really break down my day, and see how much time I spend doing other things, it really shows where my priorities lie.  For instance, I have no problem spending 2.4 hours a day watching TV, goofing off on Pinterest, or working out.  And yet, my time with God is much less.  But seriously, how difficult is it to just pray?  When I feel like I have to pray, I know two things:  1 - that I must really need to pray, and 2 - that my priorities are extremely wrong.  Rarely do I feel like I have to watch TV, unless it's something boring that I feel like I must watch even though I don't want to (like the State of the Union Address, which is a chore for me).  Praying is something that we should out of love, because we desire prayer.  And when it becomes a chore, there is something wrong.

Now, just because it can become a chore doesn't mean that we shouldn't do it.  In fact, it is when it becomes a chore that we should really do it.  Taking my medicine each morning is a real chore for me sometimes, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't do it.  Sometimes chores are necessary.  Prayer is that way.  It is necessary.  No, I don't mean that as an exaggeration.  It is necessary.  And the weird thing with prayer is that the more you do it, the less of a chore it becomes.  Gradually, over time, one who prays a lot will grow to love it.

Two days ago marked the beginning of the Season of Lent, and it is during this season that we should grow in prayer.  I encourage you to start tithing your time, especially during this season.  At first, put it in your schedule.  It doesn't have to be 2.4 hours all in one sitting.  In fact, carving out multiple times throughout your day to pray is probably better, since it will bring Him to your attention constantly throughout the day.

And remember, how much time you spend doing a thing indicates where your priorities lie.  Let God be your first priority, and you'll find that your life is blessed.