The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity: A Wealth of Inspiring Insight: Part One – Laws of Tithing
Even though Edwene Gaines is focused on discussing plentitude in “The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity; A Simple Guide to Unlimited Abundance,” she doesn’t litter the page with an excess of words. The book simply begins, “My name is Edwene and I am a woman of power…I am also a woman of passion…I have made a commitment that I would be responsible for changing the way that all people think about the potential for prosperity and abundance in their lives.”
Don’t expect this inspiring guidebook to limit its discussion about prosperity and abundance to cold hard cash. Gaines, an ordained Unity minister, sets the stage by defining true prosperity, a “Divine birthright,” as:
- A vitally alive physical body to provide a comfortable worldly home for the spiritual beings that we are
- Relationships that are satisfying, nurturing, honest, and work all the time
- Work that we love so much that it’s not work, it’s play
- And all the money we can spend
And just how does one go about achieving such multi-level riches? By following the four spiritual laws of prosperity; laws that are just as much a force in our lives as the law of gravity, but that few of us know about and therefore do not abide by. Gaines identifies these life-governing laws as:
- You must tithe 10 percent of all that you receive to the person, place, or institution where you received your spiritual food.
- You must set clear-cut, tangible goals.
- You must forgive everyone all the time, especially yourself.
- You must seek, discover, and follow your divine purpose.
I have to admit to being leery of the Law of Tithing. Not that I don’t like to part with my money. I had simply never heard of such a concept. Charity yes, tithing no. Gaines obviously has dealt with such hesitation before as she provides an insightful section featuring the twenty-four most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about tithing. Questions such as, “What is a tithe (it means a tenth)? Why ten percent? How can I tithe when I can’t even pay my bills?” She is strong in her conviction that tithing is not charity; “…instead of tithing to need, you must tithe to abundance – – in order to bring abundance into your life.”
Gaines herself began the journey into tithing by making a six-month commitment to follow through on such a task, even at a time in her life when she occasionally didn’t have enough money to feed her daughter or herself. By the end of three months, her income had doubled. She eloquently describes this venture as, “I went into business with God. And we were very successful.”
