Stephen was the first Christian martyr, but first he was an apostle in the early church—one of the church’s first “deacons”, in fact. He died defending the faith, and he adhered to the tenets set forth by the first “pastors”, such as Peter and John. The rules for being a good Christian haven’t changed much in more than 2000 years, and we’ll talk about how a few of those apply to your financial life today.

Most of us have read about Ananias in the book of Acts, who tried to hide his earnings from God and wound up dead because of his lies—followed by his wife, who continued with the same lies. In fact, the Bible tells us that she was carried out right after her husband, slain by the Holy Spirit because they refused to acknowledge the sale of some of their property.

Is this saying that we’ll die if we don’t tithe correctly? Probably not, at least not in a physical sense, but our finances suffer if we don’t obey God when it comes to our money. So how does Stephen’s story tie into that of Ananias and Sapphira?

Being a Good Christian From A Financial Perspective

One of the earliest requirements of Christian leaders was sound finances at home, because if one could not control his or her own finances, they could not be trusted with those of the church. Makes sense, right? Ananias couldn’t control his money, and he paid for his lies—his greed—with his life. Stephen, on the other hand, must have showed sound financial judgment, because he was chosen to be a leader in the church based on the commandments set forth in Acts 6.

We are commanded to give our tithes, and strongly encouraged to give offerings, in order to please the Lord. When we do this, He blesses our money and we reap the benefits of sowing wisely, from successful investments to debt help. Obey God in everything related to your money, and you will see success. Sounds simple, right?

Another Reason to Tithe

There are plenty of reasons to tithe, especially since we owe it like any other debt, but consider this simple proposition: If you can’t tithe, are you really a Christian? How can we back God’s Word all the way if we can’t be obedient in this one small thing? Perhaps it is time to reevaluate your decision to follow Christ before taking another step. Tough words I know…

If you’re committed to being a Christian, it is time to commit yourself to tithing. Start by dedicating at least 10% of your earnings to God every pay period for at least one year. Keep track of your finances during this year, making note of the amazing things that God does (or does not) do for you during that year as you follow His will for your finances. If there is absolutely no change and you know you did your part, then ask God what He’s trying to teach you, and ask for a teachable-heart. My experience is that you will discover that your finances are vastly improved, more so than ever before.  And not just your finances – also your faith would have strengthened – which is far more important.

Before you agree to this, remember Malachi 3:10: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. ‘Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.’” He wants you to test Him on this, so do it!  I dare you to!

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