Taxes Are due, Love 'Em or Hate 'Em

When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession and you have conquered it and settled there, put some of the first produce from each crop you harvest into a basket and bring it to the designated place of worship. -Deuteronomy 26:1-2

Whether you have a job or not, you probably already know the date taxes are due in this country. Yep, we usually pay up on April 15. Here are some crazy facts about the anxiety surrounding the date taxes are due:

• The number of traffic accidents increases one week before April 15.
• An accountant will put in seventy-hour workweeks during tax season.
• About 15 percent of Americans think it's okay to cheat on taxes.

God calls us to be careful managers of the resources he provides. Maybe you have heard people chatting excitedly about tax refund they are about to receive and big plans they have for all that "free money." The reason people get money returned is they are having too much withheld from each paycheck in the fist place. In essence, what you have done is lent money to the government but charged no interest. If you put that money in your own bank or better yet in something called a mutual fund, you could be earning interest on it!

As to giving...America is one of the few remaining countries offering citizens a tax credit for charitable giving. To make this simple, if I earn one hundred dollars but have given away forty dollars, I only have to pay taxes on the sixty I didn't give away. You'll notice how this helps on taxes once you start filing more complex forms (not the normal teen-friendly 1040EZ). So giving to those in need is not only good management of money, but it also falls right in line with our character as followers of Jesus. We should seek to give as much as possible , and not just the leftovers. First fruits were the best, the ripest, and the most delectable part of the harvest. these were to be brought to the place of worship so God's people would learn to glorify God first and satisfy self later.

Action Step

Give before you buy this week. Until you have given your tithe.